Inspiration

My Experience With My First Gallery Exhibition

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.

Photographers Rent a Helicopter to Re-Create the MacOS Big Sur Wallpaper

Photographers and filmmakers Andrew Levitt, Jacob Phillips, and Taylor Gray are back at it with the latest installment of their series in which they re-create Apple's MacOS desktop wallpaper photos. Following the announcement of MacOS Big Sur, the trio immediately set off to see if they could recreate the exact same shot... but it was a bit more challenging than they expected.

Why I Might Hate These Old Negatives

Pinball machines; depending on your age, you might know all about them. Once, considered so evil that New York City banned them. Wasted youths (juvenile delinquents) spent days and nights hanging out in pinball palaces. They were so ubiquitous, “The Who” even made them a central part of their rock opera, “Tommy.”

These are the Winners of the 2020 iPhone Photography Awards

This morning, the iPhone Photography Awards—the first and longest running iPhone photography competition—unveiled the winners of its 13th annual contest. As usual, these images represent the best of smartphone photography from around the world, and show what's possible with just a phone, an understanding of light, and a good eye.

This Sunset ‘Levitation’ Photo Was Captured in a Single Shot

Believe it or not, the "levitation" photo above isn't a multi-shot composite. Some lighting equipment was removed from the edge of the frame, but the main image of the woman "floating" above the water is actually a single exposure. It simply took some patience to capture it just right in-camera.

Death in the Camera Store: Learning to See On the Other Side of Fear

Crap. I’m only going to get 19 years? WTF? I am standing with my fingers knitted together, resting on the top of my head. A few feet away, there is a gun pointed at my face, and I’m trying like I’ve never tried anything to not pee on myself.

This Microscopic Time-Lapse of Chemicals Crystalizing is Hypnotic

The folks over at Envisioning Chemistry have created yet another spellbinding time-lapse that will appeal to photography nerds and science nerds alike. Using a polarized light microscope, they captured the kaleidoscope of colors as various substances crystalized in front of their lens.

Landscape Photography Advice: Stop Focusing on Gear and Specs

During the global lockdown, many landscape photographers who would normally be traveling the world and leading workshops have found themselves cooped up at home. Away from their element on location and with an abundance of free time, they’ve joined the online circuit of photography webinars, panels and interviews.

My (Reluctant) Love Affair with My Smartphone Camera

In the past year, I've become very disenchanted with my DSLR camera. Curiously, and to my complete amazement, I am finding my smartphone, to be more than adequate for taking 95% of the pictures while I’m at home.

Striking Long Exposures Document Life on a Holy River Though Clouds of Migratory Birds

For Delhi-based photographer Sankar Sridhar, the Yamuna river represents a contradiction that he wanted to capture. Choked by industrial and household waste, it's devoid of aquatic life; and yet, every winter, millions of migratory birds come to the legendary river, which is revered as the only river with the power to grant immortality to humans.

Wheelchair Accessible Landscape Photography Guide, Part 1

Welcome to the first chapter of my new Wheelchair Accessible Landscape Photography Guide. In the coming weeks I'll highlight some beautiful landscape photography locations across the United States that are easily accessible no matter your level of mobility.

How to Use Light Painting to Capture Dramatic Car Photography

Automotive photographer Dave Cox (AKA ShootingDave) recently put together a handy step-by-step tutorial that shows you exactly how he uses light painting to capture dramatic car photos when working in a tight space like a workshop. By combining six exposures into one, he's able to capture a beautiful and surprisingly natural looking photo.

How the Syrian Refugee Crisis Inspired the Photo Editing App Darkroom

Earlier this week, Apple announced the winners of its annual 'Design Awards,' and as usual, one of the honorees was a photo editing app. This year, that app was Darkroom, and while the photo and video editor for iOS is impressive in its own right, the most interesting thing about Darkroom might be the story behind how it came to be.

Making a Custom Raspberry Pi Camera with Zero Coding Knowledge

The Verge Video Director Becca Farsace recently set out to build her very own custom camera by merging a point-and-shoot film camera with the new Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera module and a Raspberry Pi 4 computer. Just one problem... she has zero coding knowledge. Cue a very frustrating week.

The Importance of Self-Development as a Photographer

I originally wrote this post in response to a challenge about growth in a Facebook photographer help group. Members of the group were challenged to post an old photograph versus a current photograph. The photograph above is what I shared in response to the challenge.

How Harry Gruyaert Makes You Fall in Love with Color in His Photography

Martin, the host of about photography, has put together a timely and inspiring ode to the work of photographer Harry Gruyaert—a master of his craft and Magnum photographer whose approach to using color, and his passion for photography in general, is worth studying, admiring, and emulating.

‘Bad’ Weather Rewards Photographer with Stunning Graduation Photos

Canadian freelance photographer Christy Turner recently ran into a bit of good luck in the form of some "bad" weather. In the aftermath of a violent thunderstorm on the day of a graduation shoot, nature rewarded her with a spectacular backdrop of mammatus clouds ... and a rainbow to boot.

Find Mindfulness in Photographing Your Kids

One morning last week, my two-year-old climbed up onto the window seat with his treasured panda bear Lovey fresh off of raiding his sister’s lip gloss collection and pressed his cheek to the window glass.

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.