The aesthetic of minimalism is very hard to achieve in a world that is full of content and never ending clutter. As photographers, how do we capture a scene in a minimalistic style without blatantly copying artists like Michael Kenna or Hiroshi Sugimoto?
Today I want to share a super-simple idea that, if you can grasp it and put it into practice, I guarantee will really help your photography.
Former DigitalRev host and photo industry personality (do we have those?) Kai Wong is setting aside the gear reviews for a minute to help out the photography "noobs." If you're a beginner, he's got some great tips, advice, and inspiration for you.
UK-based landscape photographer and beloved vlogger Thomas Heaton has an important message for fellow photogs: never let worrying about your gear keep you from going out and shooting.
No matter your current skill level, you could (and should) always be getting better. And if you ever find yourself in a creative rut—as we all do from time to time—watch this video. Photographer and filmmaker Peter McKinnon thinks he knows why you're struggling, and how to get out.
If you're gonna take pictures of food for Instagram, at least do them justice. Here are three useful tips that'll help you improve your food and still life photography.
You don't need fancy lighting equipment to capture nighttime portraits. Follow these few simple tips from photographer Jordan Matter and you'll up your night portrait game instantly, no flash required.
One of the best reasons to learn the rules of photography is so you can start breaking them. In this short video, Canon Explorer of Light and music and sports photographer, David Bergman teaches you how he goes about breaking 3 of the cardinal composition rules in his work, using his Bon Jovi portfolio as an example.
Ready for some rapid-fire DIY tips? A team of French photographers who goes by the moniker "Shootr" has put together a simple photo hacks video that offers a few creative ideas for your next portrait shoot.
There are plenty of technical posing guides out there, but for their latest educational video, Daniel and Rachel of Mango Street Lab took a more natural approach. Here are 5 posing and directing tips that will keep your couples shoots looking and feeling candid and unforced.
Tim Tadder is a wildly successful commercial photographer in a time when the term "wildly successful photographer" sounds like an oxymoron. So RGG EDU went to Tim's house and asked him 18 questions about the photo industry, which Tim answered while playing some leisurely putt putt in his backyard.
Lighting is the most important element of a photograph. It is essentially the only thing that a picture is truly made of. And it's the quality and type of light that really sets a picture apart from the masses of imagery, or limits a photo's ability to really captivate an audience.
"What lens should I buy?" It's one of the most common gear questions that pops up in the PetaPixel inbox, and while there is no one-size-fits-all answer, photographer Peter McKinnon does a great job of explaining what's out there and what you need to know to decide on your next lens in this informative video.
When I first started photography, I struggled a lot with lighting. In the beginning, we're often told to shoot our subjects in open shade, but if you don’t know how to do this properly the results can be disastrous: faces with dark shadows, eyes with no depth, overexposed backgrounds, etc.
It doesn't matter if you're a beginner, intermediate, or even a professional, you'll want to give Broncolor's free "How To" page a look. There, you'll find nearly 100 pro lighting examples—beautiful photos, each accompanied by a gear list, description, and lighting diagram. It's a tutorial gold mine.
We're not entirely sure why, but product photography tutorials are coming hard and fast lately. So in case this DIY lightbox wasn't good enough, and 360° product photography isn't your thing, here's a great tutorial that will show you how to capture killer reflective product shots on a sea of black.
I am often asked how I manage to photograph a celebrity in a few minutes or what is the best way to shoot a good portrait. Here is my list of hints for shooting better portraits.
You don't need a ton of space to create an impromptu "home studio" and capture some high quality portraits. As photographer Mark Wallace shows you in this informative tutorial, the corner of a tiny hotel room in Paris is plenty if you know what you're doing.
Street photography is an addictive calling—the more you do it, the more you want to do it. You crave more people, more places, more action. Plus, it’s one of the most dynamic and exciting types of photography to share on social media, with an active community around the world.
This article aims to provide you with key tips, techniques, and hacks that, if followed correctly, should practically guarantee nailing pin-sharp manual focus shots in no time.
Camera angle as composition isn't talked about as often as, say, how the elements in your photos are arranged. But changing your camera angle can completely transform the message an image sends, something Ted Forbes explains beautifully in this crash course on low angle photography.
Focal point is a term that photographers and photography blogs throw around continually. “Create a focal point,” it’s said, “it should be the first and last place the eye goes in your image.” That’s true, of course, but like most important things it’s easier said than done.
Photographer and DP Peter McKinnon is not an "iPhoneographer", but that hasn't stopped some of his fans from asking for tips on taking better smartphone photos. Since he's not one to disappoint, he created this useful tutorial to appease the smartphone shutterbugs out there.
Unlike with most genres of photography, still life requires two levels of composition: composing your frame, and composing your props. The latter is commonly called photo styling, and this short video offers three simple tips for upping your photo styling game.
What's the 'recipe' for a great photograph? As we embark on this new 365-day journey called "2017," our friends at COOPH teamed up with photographer Craig Semetko to answer this question; and he believes it all comes down to 4 key elements: Design, Information, Emotion, and Timing.
I ditched my DSLR in favor of an iPhone back in 2012, well aware of what I was giving up. But I love to travel light, and by using the iPhone as my only camera, I could get rid if the heavy and bulky backpack with all the lenses and stuff.
I know that for a lot of people, the cold keeps them inside, but it can be really rewarding to go out in the bitter cold. Tonight I got the bug to go out and shoot, but the air temp was -15°F (-26°C), with a windchill of -30°F (-34°C).
It's the holiday season and everyone's favorite photography background prop is Christmas lights. It used to be pretty easy to get these photos to come out perfect, but with the rise in popularity of LED lights, there's some weird stuff that happens if you don't have the right camera settings.
Anyone who has ever tried to take pictures of children knows how challenging it can be. They don’t have attention spans, they don’t listen, and they switch from happy to grumpy within seconds for seemingly no reason at all.
Here are a few reasons why having a story to tell is far better than not.
Everybody knows tilt-shift lenses can be used to get a "miniature" effect, but many photographers are oblivious to their other, more traditional applications, and even fewer understand exactly how these lenses work. The folks at LensPro ToGo are here to clear things up.
It's an age-old question: how are you supposed to get hired as a photographer when clients are only looking for photographers who already have experience? World-renowned photographer and entrepreneur Chase Jarvis has an answer for you.
We've all heard or read those tips for getting the most out of your smartphone's limited battery life, but what about us photographers? How do you make sure you're squeezing every last shot out of your DSLR or mirrorless camera? This video will tell you.
I’ve got a love/hate relationship with lifestyle photography. Lifestyle photography for me photos that feel like candid moments where a person is looking at you and not your camera. Each photograph feels like the viewer is with them living in the moment with whomever is in the photograph, and I love that.
Here's a simple composition tip that promises to help add depth and impact to your images. Instead of thinking of light and lines separately, try to combine the two by having your strongest light source and your leading lines work together.
Small pictures can make a big difference in a mobile-driven world.
Quite often other photographers tell me “I don’t have time for another social network and I don’t need Instagram.” Yet they spend hours posting on Facebook, 500px and Flickr where almost zero potential clients will see their work.
'Levitation' photos are a fun, and not overly complicated style of photography. But if you really want to create believable levitation shots, there are some tips and tricks that will really help. Enter photographer Christopher James (@christopher.james).
Every great photograph consists of three key elements. First and foremost composition, then lighting and, of course, the moment. Look at any great image and you’ll notice these elements.
COOPH is back with another great video, this one featuring world-class travel photographer and TED speaker Chris Burkard. Burkard, who boasts over 2 million followers on Instagram, is here to share some tips on how you can "up your Instagram game" and get on his level.
Street photography is one of the easiest genres to get into, and one of the hardest to build up the courage to actually try. Hopefully, this quick video by VSCO Academy will show you just how simple it can be to start capturing great street shots.