If you've been wanting to learn more about using your camera in manual mode and have 26 minutes to spare, here's a helpful educational video by photographer Sean Tucker that's just for you. He teaches how to nail exposure using manual mode.
How do you use high-speed sync? When would you use it? How do you set it up? These questions will all be answered by the end of this 5.5-minute video and the article below.
There are certain natural phenomena that most photographers would love to capture. Aurora, eclipses, meteors, rainbows, eruptions, lightning and tornados all present challenges to the photographer, not least of which is (with the exception of eclipses) having a camera pointed the right way when they happen. Bioluminescent algae is no different in this regard. Like all the most incredible natural spectacles it is hard to predict and tricky to capture.
The popularity and widespread use of focus stacking in landscape photography have dramatically increased over the last few years. The concept typically reserved for macro photography has quickly won over countless outdoor photographers worldwide. With more and more landscape enthusiasts using wide angle lenses to capture images with dramatic foreground elements, it’s become nearly impossible to create front-to-back pin-sharp photos.
Can you use a flip-flop -- or any solid item, for that matter -- as a graduated neutral density (AKA grad ND) filter? Sure. But, it doesn’t work in all situations.
Can't wait for Nikon and Canon to launch their new mirrorless cameras and want to fork over money for the ones already on the market? Photographer Eric Rossi made this 4-minute video that shows how you can convert your existing DSLR camera into a mirrorless camera.
Lately, I’ve seen lots of cinematic looks on Instagram. There are mostly cold tones with a rare spark of a warm look. And so I have decided to have a look, do some magic, and produce a free Lightroom landscape preset for you. I know, there are lots of Lightroom presets for travel photography, but in reality, I couldn’t find anything usable that also came with an explanation. So, read on to learn how to create cinematic photography yourself.
When it comes to purchasing a new lens there are two questions that immediately come to mind for me, how much is it and how sharp is it? Now, I know there’s more to the lens buying process than overall sharpness, but as a landscape photographer, sharpness is king!
Want a simple introduction to the basics of the Exposure Triangle in photography? PHLEARN has created a trilogy of short video tutorials that explain aperture, ISO, and shutter speed using Star Wars LEGO.
Here's a 9-minute introduction to the three-point lighting setup! If you haven’t seen our video about portrait lighting, we go over five portrait lighting positions and what type of emotion you can get from those positions. So this is a follow up to that lesson and I recommend you watch it before diving into this one!
I’ve always been fascinated by the night sky, and one of my favorite things to look out for is the International Space Station when it passes overhead. It still boggles my mind that there are people up there, 200 miles into space. Perhaps they are looking down too. In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to photograph an ISS transit – in other words, photographing the ISS as it flies in front of the moon!
Astrophotography is generally a race against time to capture as much subtle starlight we can before the stars create trails in our images. The movement of the Earth puts a natural limit on how much sharp, subtle detail we can reveal. We have to use super fast, wide angle lenses and high ISO values to see all the awesome detail. Fortunately, a tool exists to circumvent this barrier to reveal more of the hidden magic we have in our night sky.
Photographer Eric Floberg made this 5-minute video tutorial on the subject of composing portraits.
I'm photographer David Johnson, and in this tutorial I'll be sharing how I shoot long-exposure photos of defocused fireworks.
Want to learn how to create a "flying food" photo without actually making food travel through the air? Food photographer Skyler Burt of We Eat Together made this 5.5-minute tutorial on one way to freeze time and space.
Mixing ambient light with flash is a tough technique to get around. I can do it no problem, but when someone asks me to explain it I draw a blank. There’s a very good reason why it’s hard to understand: you’re smashing two distinct schools of lighting an image together.
Here's a 16.5-minute video by OWL BOT in which photographer Omar Kenji demonstrates how you can develop C-41 color film in your own bathroom instead of passing it to a photo lab.
It’s becoming harder to get the entire image sharp with the constantly wider lenses and more extreme foregrounds that are used in today’s photography. Even optimal apertures aren’t enough to get both the foreground and background as sharp as desired. That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible, though. Focus stacking for sharper images has become a go-to technique for photographers of all levels to achieve images that are sharp all the way through.
A lot of the times when you’re shooting in direct sun, it’s very harsh on your subject’s face. Many people try not to put themselves in this situation because of it. Sometimes you have no choice, or maybe you like the location a lot so you have to put up with the challenge. Without any equipment, the sun can create harsh shadows and an unflattering look on your talent.
Lightroom's Auto Mask feature lets you intelligently target edit towards specific portions of photos. While the standard tool is useful, there are more advanced ways of using the tool that can take your editing to the next level. Here's a great 13-minute tutorial on the subject by Signature Edits.
If you're interested in branching out your photo business to include corporate headshots, here's a helpful 24-minute tutorial that can help you get started. In it, photographer Sean Tucker shares his system of effectively photographing a large number of people in a short amount of time.
Here's a helpful 9.5-minute video by CreativeLive in which photographer Blake Rudis shares 5 "hidden" gems in Adobe Photoshop you can add to your mental toolkit to improve your workflow.
Earlier this month, Adobe released an update that massively revamped its Camera Profiles, renaming the feature Profiles. In addition to 6 new Adobe Raw profiles, there are also creative profiles. And instead of downloading and/or buying third-party creative profiles, you can make your own.
Here's a tutorial on how you can shoot Polaroid i-Type instant film in an old Polaroid 600 instant camera. I think the pictures speak for themselves
Here's a helpful 6-minute tutorial by photographer Dustin Dolby on how you can photograph group product photos using only a single speedlight.
Sometimes we can use software for years without taking the time to dive deeper and unlock its full potential. Here's a great 12-minute tutorial by photographer Jamie Windsor with 10 hidden Lightroom features that can help your editing and speed up your workflow.
If you're not sure how to photograph a landscape, one primary factor you should consider is the current position of the sun in the sky. Here's a fantastic 3.5-minute video by CreativeLive in which National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting shares tips on harnessing different kinds of sunlight.
Want to learn how to shoot tack-sharp landscape photos? Photographer Dave Morrow made this solid 27-minute guide that teaches his personal focusing strategy. He believes it's the "most in-depth guide to back button focus and hyperfocal distance currently on YouTube."
If you've been itching to try your hand at daytime long exposure photography but aren't sure how to jump in, here's a great simple and straightforward 12-minute tutorial on the subject by photographer Adam Karnacz of First Man Photography.
Film Washi V is probably the most unusual film announced in 2017, and I had the privilege of being present when Lomig, the founder of Washi Film, introduced it at the Salon de la Photo in Paris last year. Since then I have always wanted to try it and see what it's like to shoot with this very special film.