Fine art photography has become all the rage over the past decade, and it is a moniker many photographers use to try and elevate their output to try and sell it via galleries and print sales. But what is fine art photography after all?
Wedding photography is one of the most challenging yet fulfilling genres of photography, one that will challenge your people skills, technical abilities, and physical stamina. To succeed as a wedding photographer, you will need to become an expert in a wide of subjects, from how to work your camera to how to market your business.
How long do photographs last? The answer to that question is not as simple as we might think. There are many variables such as the process used, environmental issues, as well as at what point do we consider the photograph unusable?
15 years ago, photo workshops were not yet a thing. You could sign up for a photo excursion on a cruise ship or other tour for which you had no instruction, but dedicated, stand-alone photo workshops were not really prevalent until around 10 years ago. Today, there is hardly a corner of the world or subject matter that is not served by a photo workshop.
If you want to become a better photographer, learn more, get and stay inspired, meet others who share your passion, and make new friends, well, nothing beats a camera club (also known as a photography club). Joining a club might even help lead you to a new career. I know it did for me and many other photographers.
When thinking about the Curves tool in Adobe Photoshop, the phrase “With great power, comes great responsibility” is a thought that comes to mind. Curves is the most powerful tool in Photoshop for adjusting brightness, contrast, tonality, and color.
In your photography adventure, you will most likely buy both a prime lens and a zoom lens at some point. If you are a beginning photographer looking to upgrade to a new lens, you are probably facing the decision of whether to choose a prime or a zoom. Which type should you get and what’s the difference?
Focus breathing is a term that is often used when discussing the features and specs of a camera lens. It is an issue that occurs across a wide range of lenses, and it is one that can negatively affect your photography and videography in certain situations. In this article, we will take a look at what focus breathing is, the situations it affects, and how you can avoid it.
In a world of increasing automation, at least photography still offers the opportunity to stay alert, active, and in command. While intimidating at first, shooting in full manual mode provides creative control, proper metering in tricky light, and deeper integration into the entire process of making photos. If you give it time, manual photography can help you craft your best images.
In the two-plus decades I’ve been a photographer, finding the right light modifiers for the varied work that I did was a challenge. In the small community I lived in, my subject matter ranged from commercial photography to weddings and portraits. Each subject required its own type of lighting.
Whenever you buy a new camera lens, you’ll often receive a free lens hood included with your purchase. And while many photographers leave it on without thinking twice about what it does, this handy tool isn’t just for show.
Graduation portrait photography is an opportunity to develop your portrait skills, make photos that your client will treasure, and have fun. There are important logistics to keep in mind for a smooth and well-executed graduation portrait shoot, and this guide will help prepare you.
The Sunny 16 Rule is one of the simplest rules in photography that helps you gain correct exposure. It’s a formula that will tell you what shutter speed to use on a bright sunny day when the lens’s aperture is set to f/16.
The day after photography was invented in 1839, somebody pointed out that the photographs were just shades of gray – there was no color. The photography inventors knew this was a problem and probably hoped that no one would notice. Paintings were in vivid color and if photography was ever to compete with painting, there needed to be some color in them.
It's been just over four decades since autofocus 35mm cameras have become a reality. In 1987, Canon had just released their first autofocus 35mm film camera called the EOS 650, with the EF lens mount and lightning-fast autofocus. It was a bold new design that many thought would fail, but the EOS and its successors changed the game for 35mm photography, dominating the industry.
As photographers, when we hear the word "bokeh", we probably already have a visual in our mind of its meaning. Since bokeh can be somewhat abstract and subjective, describing it can be difficult.
What are the most important features you look for when buying a flash? Many photographers consider the amount of power a unit has to be the most important, but there are a few other specifications that are just as important, including flash duration. In this article, I will break down exactly what flash duration is and how it works.
Digital cameras are great -- the technology they are built upon is remarkable, underpinned by remarkably sophisticated designs. Not only that, but the pictures they acquire are of such astonishing quality that they make anything that went before pale in comparison. So why then do digital cameras have such (relatively) short lifespans compared to film cameras?
I had a death in the family this week, as my brother in law Michael Stroud passed away, after a three-week hospital stint. There are many parts of the grieving process, of course, and one big one is revisiting memories, with photos and video.
Photography is full of baffling jargon and complex numbers to the uninitiated, and it can be daunting for beginning photographers. If you are just starting out, here is an introductory guide for fundamental things you need to have and know before you jump into the wonderful world of photography.
The world of photography is massive. Not only is there a litany of choices when it comes to cameras, lenses, accessories, and other equipment, but photographers also have a choice of countless genres in which to experiment. Often, photographers gravitate towards genres that are attractive to them for various reasons or that involve content that is important to them.
"Flambient" real estate photography involves combining flash and ambient light for beautiful, high-end results. In this article, I will show how you can capture great real estate images using high dynamic range (HDR) and flash techniques.
Want to check how many individual photos a camera has taken in its lifetime? Here's a guide to looking up the shutter actuation count for most of the most popular camera brands on the market.
When is the best time of day to shoot portrait photos outdoors? Should we shoot only during the golden hours and avoid midday altogether, or is it better to use the brightest daylight hours to take our portraits with a few simple light modifiers? In this guide, we explore the best times of day for outdoor portraits.
Street photography is an age-old photography genre that is both popular and sometimes controversial. However, contrary to the reputation some prominent street photographers give the genre, there is way more to photographing streets than being aggressive and confrontational -- it can also be a relaxing, creative, and freeing experience for both amateurs and experienced shooters alike.
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.
Photography, like all art, is subjective. However, one of the most common questions I see from people starting their photography journey is "how do I know when I’m getting better?" While the idea of ‘better’ is also partly subjective, improvement is still something every photographer strives for, and there are many different ways we can assess our own growth.
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.
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.
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.
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 big question every beginning commercial photographer asks themselves is how they should price their work. There is always a wide range of price points in all genres of photography, and they all depend on your level of work. But there is one truth that may apply to most photographers: you can’t apply a simple pricing strategy to your work.
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.
"Don't you have enough fox pictures yet?" That's a question I get asked regularly. "Not by a long shot!" Those photos are just a great excuse to stalk these fantastic animals for over ten years. And no, I can't get enough.
If you do iPhone photography, common sense may say you pick up the iPhone, open the camera app and just start shooting. That’ll work, but there happen to be so many settings and features hidden within these phones that stump way too many people, even some of us pros sometimes.
Can you think back to a time you were taking photos in a dinner scene and they just look "flash-y"? Why does flash never look natural? Well, in order to make flash look natural, you have to make flash part of the natural lighting scenario. Here’s how.
Macro photography works well with conventional lenses and inexpensive extension tubes. The combination achieves 0.3x to 0.5x magnification. Depth of field is much greater with these moderate magnifications than at the 1x magnification possible with macro lenses.
Think you know the inverse-square law? How much of a "law" is it actually in the practice of photography? We are taught that the inverse-square law is the holy grail of understanding the laws of light. Some condense all the wonderful knowledge about light concepts to the inverse square law only. In this article, I want to invite you to take a step back and see how the inverse square law is wrong. Sometimes.
The world of photography is filled with abbreviations that allow longer words or phrases to be more easily communicated. If you're just starting out as a photographer, however, they could be more confusing than helpful, and this guide was put together just for you.
Want to create a "small world" or "tiny planet" image in which a landscape photo (often a panorama) is turned into what looks like a miniature planet? Here's an easy-to-follow 2-minute tutorial that will teach you how to make one in Photoshop.