Inspiration

How to Smash $5,000 in Nikon Lenses

Here's an 8-second video showing $5,000 in Nikon lenses getting smashed with a mallet. If you cringe at the thought of harm coming to any photographic equipment, here's the good news: the video isn't what you think. It's a creative video by stop-motion extraordinaire PES.

This Award-Winning Wildlife Photographer is Only 13 Years Old

Josiah Launstein is a Canadian wildlife photographer who has won multiple prestigious awards... and he's only 13 years old. Launstein first got behind the lens at the age of 5, following in the footsteps of his father and sister, who are also avid wildlife photographers. This 3-minute video profile by CBC Arts offers a window into his life and work.

I Named These Puppies Click, Bokeh, Nikon, Sensor, Skrim, and Gobo

Late last year, my wife and I had to say goodbye to one of our beloved dogs, Sophie. She was far too young and our loss was devastating. After several months, one of my breeder clients (Kristen from Zero Gravity Australian Shepherds) announced a litter coming.

The Story of Sean Flynn’s Leica M2

This is a story about a camera, a rather special camera. Every camera has a history, so they say. But it is not all that often that one has such a rich and documented history. One that was thought to be lost but has been found again. This is the story of Sean Flynn’s Leica M2.

20 Square Meters: A Summer of Photos on My Patio as a Creativity Challenge

The great photographer Jay Maisel used to talk about color, light, and gesture being three essential elements of a great image. With 20 square meters, my goal was to create a body of imagery that transports viewers into the scene and allows them to imagine the whole range of smells and sensations of a summer outdoors.

The Creative Process of Photography: A Case Study

I often hear: “I really like your photos. You must own an amazing and super duper expensive camera!” My reply to these people is: “If you own Tiger Woods' golf club, would you be able to play at his level?” In Woods’ case, it all comes down to years of practice and a healthy dose of raw talent.

This Guy Built an Ultimate Lightroom Battlestation for $6,000

Hobbyist photographer and Twitter product designer Paul Stamatiou recently decided that his 2-year-old iMac was no longer up to the task of handling his high-res RAW photos in Lightroom. Instead of shelling out $13,199 or $7,128 for a fully loaded iMac Pro or Mac Pro, Stamatiou decided to switch to Windows and build himself a custom Lightroom photo-editing monster.

How I Got to Shoot a SpaceX Rocket Launch from Orlando’s Soccer Stadium

As a photographer that isn't associated with any news media, it can sometimes be difficult to get access to certain opportunities. With space, this is especially true, since access normally means the ability to place a camera near a launchpad in areas that are heavily restricted. This is a story of how it can never hurt to ask for permission.

Film vs Digital: A Fashion Photography Shootout

Photographers Anita Sadowska and Alex Hutchinson recently did a "film versus digital" comparison through a fashion photography shootout. They photographed the same subject with Sadowska using a digital Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR and Hutchinson using an analog medium-format Pentax 67 as a comparison of film vs digital.

How to Use a Projector as a Lighting Tool for Creative Portraits

In my opinion, there’s an extra layer of believability -- a tangibility, if you will -- to using practical effects as opposed to relying heavily on post-production. Post work is limited by the breadth (or lack thereof) of imagination, which is why I try to get as much as I can in-camera.

How I Capture Vibrant Colors Inside Snowflakes

Having photographed snowflakes for nearly a decade as a large component to my career as a photographer, I’ve had the joy of encountering mysteries in the snow and the enthusiasm to sort out the physics behind it. No mystery captivated me more than the first time I saw a ring of color in the center of a snowflake.

For the Love of Film

Just another article about film photography? Well yes, but bear with me and hopefully you’ll see why film really does still have a place in my heart and might have a place in yours too... even when digital is such excellent quality and so convenient.

Portraits of a Couple Who Spent Their Wedding Money Loving Africa

"If you have someone that you think is the one," the comedian Bill Murray once said, "don’t just sort of think in your ordinary mind, 'Okay, let's make a date. Let's plan this and make a party and get married.' Take that person and travel around the world."

Portraits of India: Capturing Faces That Reflected Myself

I recently came back from a trip to India. I left the UK with the intent of photographing a culture entirely different from mine. Searching for a new challenge, I looked at India in the eyes, and I faced myself.

8 Ideas for Funny Portrait Photos

If you're looking for a wacky idea for portrait photos, check out this 4.5-minute video by COOPH. It's a collection of 8 wacky things you can do with things that you can mostly find around a home.

5 Street Photos to Look Out For While Commuting to Work

If your job is keeping you busy and away from dedicated street photography, you may still be able to exercise your creative muscles during your trip to and from the office. Here's a 2-minute video by photographer Alan Ruic with a handful of street photos you can take while commuting to work.

The Street Photography of Rinzi Ruiz

Rinzi Ruiz is a talented photographer who discovered his passion for street photography on the sidewalks of downtown Los Angeles. Here's a great 4-minute interview with Ruiz by StreetShootr about his mindset and work.

The Winning Photos of Nat Geo Nature Photographer of the Year 2017

National Geographic has announced the winning photos of its prestigious 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest. The grand prize winner, selected from over 11,000 entries, is the photo above by Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan showing a male orangutan peering from behind a tree while crossing a river in Borneo, Indonesia.

I Shot Tilt-Shift Photos of San Francisco

My name is James D. Lee, and I'm a photographer based in Oakland. I recently got around to posting four years worth of selected photos shot in and around the San Francisco Bay area strictly on tilt-shift lenses. I completed this project while working full-time marketing/photography positions.

The Top 15 Photos on Flickr in 2017

As 2017 comes to a close, Flickr has been doing some data crunching on the billions of photos uploaded during the year by photographers around the world. Today the photo-sharing service revealed the most popular pictures of the year.

I Shot 7 Photos of the Same Location in Different Seasons

Throughout the years, I noticed that I visit the same locations around my house many times to see how they look during different seasons and different times of the day. Sometimes the area where you live may not motivate you very much to photograph because you see the same things every day. However, when I started photography, I began to see the world (and my home area) in a different way.

I Took These Photos in My Dining Room

Product photography is something that I've always been interested in, but never saw myself making a career out of. However... when I do get to take product photos, I do enjoy it quite a lot.