introduction

A Guide to Digital Camera Modes

Have you just gotten a more advanced camera and are looking to get better at photography? Having a good understanding of digital camera modes is an essential step in that process. If you are just starting out and are confused about all the different icons on your camera's mode dial, then this comprehensive guide to digital camera modes is just for you.

Real Estate Photography: A Complete Guide

I have been shooting real estate now for over a decade, and as dry and uninteresting as shooting homes may sound, I have found this a very rewarding niche in the photography world. Sure, there are dull, boring, or repetitive days, but then there are some you walk into a home and you just thank your lucky stars the Realtor called you on this one.

How to Update Your Camera’s Firmware

If you are a digital photographer, it is a good idea to make sure your camera's firmware is up to date to ensure you have a reliable device with the latest features and fixes. In this article, we will guide you step-by-step through updating your camera firmware.

Camera Metering Modes Explained

One of the many features modern cameras have is a selection of modes for metering exposure. These allow you to choose how the camera measures the brightness of the subject or scene in order to automatically adjust camera settings for optimal exposure.

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How to Set Up Your New Camera: A Step-by-Step Checklist

Getting a new digital camera is an exciting time for photographers and videographers. A world of possibilities and learning lies ahead as well as doors to new adventures and places to visit. But it’s not always smooth sailing when it comes to using a new camera as a beginner. There are lots of complex numbers, letters, and acronyms to wrap your head around, let alone figuring out how to operate the numerous dials, buttons, and switches. But by following the simple steps included in this checklist you should be up and running in no time.

NFTs: An Introduction and Crash Course for Photographers

Ahh, NFTs… where do we even begin? What on earth is an NFT and why does that guy at the coffee shop with an ape on his sweater keep smugly talking about them? Does photography, a medium that we traditionally have come to understand as largely physical, have a place in this new format?

A Photographer’s Guide to Umbrellas

Umbrellas are perhaps the most under-appreciated light shaping tool around. Due to their low price and wide availability, they are considered by some to be only for those who are beginners. This couldn't be further from the truth.

How to Install and Use LightZone, the Underdog Raw Digital Darkroom

Darktable, RawTherapee, digiKam are undeniably powerful applications for processing RAW files. But while they offer a plethora of advanced editing and processing tools, using them to get the result you want requires and patience and some effort. But who has time for that?

What I Wish I Knew Before My First Fashion Photo Shoot

Fashion photography is one of the most lucrative but also one of the hardest genres to pursue on a professional level. Good fashion work can’t be done with a one-man band. Eventually, every fashion photographer learns the importance of such things the hard way. Here are some things that I wish I knew when photographing my first fashion and beauty images.

HSS Does Not Freeze Motion: Light is the Key, Not Shutter Speed

How do photographers freeze motion? With shutter speed, of course! This is something fundamental that everyone starting out in photography learns to do. If you’re shooting sports, for example, just crank the ISO up, set a high shutter speed, and expect a good frozen-in-time image. However, when using a flash, things are a little different. In fact, shutter speed is by far the worst way to freeze motion. Here’s why.

How to Choose a Godox Strobe for Lighting Your Photos

If you’re just starting out with strobes, there’s more choice than ever to overwhelm you with! In this guide, we will help you systematically narrow down which lights are going to work best for your type of photography.

The Photographer’s Guide to Beauty Dishes

The beauty dish is one of the most commonly used light modifiers for beauty and portrait work, but being popular doesn’t mean that it’s an easy-to-use modifier without any quirks and intricacies. In fact, you can only harness the true magic of the beauty dish if you know the principles behind it inside-out. In this article, I will explain everything you need to know when using a beauty dish.

A Photographer’s Introduction to Light

What is light? This perhaps may be the most simple question with the most complex answer in photography. Light enables us to see, create, and most importantly convey meaning through our art. Light also gives us the oxygen we breathe (through plant photosynthesis).

The Ultimate Guide to Softboxes: The Anatomy of Light Shaping Tools

Softboxes are among the most popular light shaping tools. Few photographers have never shot with softboxes, and more often than not a softbox is a go-to modifier for beginners. In this article, I will break down the anatomy of a softbox, from physics to possible applications for it. Read on to become a master of using softboxes.

Basic Advice About Photography for Beginning Photographers

This article is aimed at people who would like to advance their basic photography skills. I assume that you already make decent photos and are familiar with f-stops, ISO, shutter speeds, etc. But I'm hoping that this read will prove worth your time and lead to even greater photographic skills and enjoyment.

An Intro to the Most Basic Photo Edits for Folks Who Don’t Edit (At All)

This article is aimed at folks who don't edit their photos at all. If you aren't editing you're missing a lot of fun. Think of me more as a cheerleader than a teacher. I'll show you simple edits that can be done in a few minutes. We won't be adding non-existent clouds nor making fat people thin. This is just simple stuff. Let's start with this shot.

I Shot All These Photos from My Yard — Here’s How You Can Do It Too

As recently as the early 1900s, astronomers believed the Milky Way was all that existed in the universe. That view persisted until 1923, when Edwin Hubble used glass plate photographs of the Andromeda galaxy (then still thought to be just a nebula) to discover that the universe was unimaginably larger. His discovery was so significant that NASA’s first space telescope was given his name.

A Primer on Collecting Photo Books

Revisiting my photography book collection has brought me much enjoyment during the lockdown. A dozen years ago, as the business of photography was good, I used the disposable income to start collecting. In this article, I summarize what I wished I knew back then, not only as a photographer and book collector but also from the perspective of a former art gallery owner and current publisher.

A Beginner’s Guide To Photographing Comet NEOWISE

The comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) has arrived in the night sky here in the northern hemisphere, delighting skywatchers and photographers alike. With planning, patience, and clear skies, you can capture an unforgettable image of this celestial event.

An Introduction to Backgrounds for Portrait Photography

Photographer Miguel Quiles has created a quick, crash-course style video that explores the different types of backgrounds you can buy as a portrait photographer, and then explains why collapsible backgrounds might be the best option if you're just starting out.

An Introduction to Light in Outdoor Photography

Photography is all about light. To be more precise, photography is all about the quality of the light. This can be a particular challenge for outdoor/landscape photographers.

4 Lens Filters That Are Still Relevant in Our Modern Digital Age

While digital photography and post-processing have done away with the need for certain types of lens filters, there are still a number of filters that can't be replaced by Photoshop. Here's a 8.5-minute video by DPReview on which filters you should still consider keeping in your camera bag.

How to Edit Portraits in Affinity Photo

Portrait and headshot photographer Ivan Weiss recently created a helpful tutorial that walks you through his entire portrait editing process in the popular Adobe alternative Affinity Photo. If you've been wanting to give Affinity a shot, this is a phenomenal resource.

5 Steps to Ditching Auto and Shooting Manual Mode on Your Camera

If you own a DSLR and have a passion for photography, you have landed in the right place. A lot of people are under the common misconception that buying a new DSLR camera will instantly improve their photography. They place an order, and a few days later, their new, shiny toy arrives on their doorstep. Then things usually get tricky.

Camera Basics: Understanding Shutter Speed

Do you know your camera basics? Today we dive into shutter speed and teach you all the ways you can use shutter speed to unlock your creativity and expand your photography style. Learn how to show fluid movement or capture a split second and what styles of photography these shutters speed options are best for.

Intentional Camera Movement: An Intro to ICM Photography

I have been getting quite experimental with my photography this year and recently stumbled upon Intentional Camera Movement, or ICM, photography. I fell into the work of photographer Andy Gray and was immediately blown away by the painterly feel of his images.

Storage 101: Do I Really Need a Drobo as a Photographer?

The Drobo is a wish list item for many photographers, but do you really need one? A few years ago, the compelling reason to buy one was to have more storage than a single drive could provide at the time. But with 10TB external drives available for ~$179, having a lot of storage in a single drive is a lot easier and a lot less expensive.

How Canon’s New Defocus Smoothing Gets You Ultra-Creamy Bokeh

Canon announced the new RF 85mm f/1.2L DS IS lens for its full-frame mirrorless cameras today, and the $3,000 lens is the very first Canon lens to feature a new technology called Defocus Smoothing (DS). If you're curious about the new lens tech, check out this 1.5-minute video by Canon that introduces it.

A 10-Minute Guide to Getting Started in Astrophotography

Photographer Trevor Jones of AstroBackyard started doing astrophotography back in 2010 using his smartphone and point-and-shoot camera. After working on his craft for nearly a decade, Jones just made this 10-minute video guide sharing what he would do if he were starting out in astrophotography all over again today.

A Guide to Long Exposure Photography

In the past few years, long exposure photography has become increasingly popular. Images in which the water seems to turn ethereal, the clouds turn into long, wispy streaks, or the lights from cars turn into long lines have an otherworldly quality that can be incredibly appealing. Since I've had a few people ask me how I go about shooting my long exposure images, I decided to write a guide.

A Guide to Basic Camera Straps: Are You Using Yours Wrong?

If you're a relatively new photographer who's using the strap that originally came with your camera, here's a 10-minute video that may be helpful to you. In it, photography educator Phil Steele runs through the basics of camera straps while offering some helpful tips and tricks you may not have learned before.