Inspiration

How to Create a Strong Focal Point and Manage Attention Inside Your Photos

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.

On the Fear of Photographing in Public

The joy of photographing on the street comes from close and engaging photos. Displaying the human nature and emotions in a way that the audience can relive these moments requires the photographer to be close and engaging as well. Unfortunately for a lot of us, it is not easy to stand out from the masses and overcome artificial social boundaries.

John Schell: The Importance of Authenticity in Lifestyle Photos

John Schell is a lifestyle, commercial, editorial and advertising photographer currently based in Los Angeles, California. A New York transplant, he started his photography career after nearly fifteen years of teaching special education at both the middle and high school level.

I’m a Photographer (Who Happens to Shoot Weddings)

My name is Duy Ho, and I've been photographing weddings since 2011. I established my style by embracing my personal interests and influences: an architecture and design background, my love of cinematography and film, a respect for classic and renaissance art, and a quirky obsession with the chiaroscuro style of painting.

I Earned More From Photo Gigs in 2016 With My iPhone Than My DSLRs

2016 ended in a most fitting fashion for the new way I am trying to earn a living as a freelance photographer. On December 27, I was on Montara Beach photographing a college volleyball player on assignment for Volleyball USA magazine. The big story here? I was shooting the entire assignment with my iPhone 7 Plus.

Using the Canon AE-1: One of the Greatest Film Cameras Ever Made

In case you haven't heard, film is making a comeback. It's not just small companies funding new film stocks on Kickstarter, either—Kodak is bringing back Ektachrome and "investigating" what it would take to bring back Kodachrome. There's never been a better time to revisit one of the greatest film cameras ever made.

Traveling Won’t Make You a Better Photographer

When I was 20, I was dissatisfied with my photography. I felt like I was being limited by where I lived. I thought if I wanted to become a better street photographer, I needed to live in Europe—to photograph the romantic streets of Paris, the back-alleys of Prague, and the bustling streets of London.

This Photo Manipulation Timelapse Shows Off Some Mad Photoshop Skills

Last week, 25-year-old Danish automotive photographer Sebastian Pichard grabbed an old photo from his archives, opened up Photoshop CC, hit record, and started editing without any idea what exactly he would end up with. The resulting editing timelapse shows off his mad Photoshop skills... and a bit of image theft.

Pulse: A 4K Storm Time-Lapse Film in Black and White

Storm chasing photographer Mike Olbinski is known for his gorgeous time-lapse films of thunderstorms, tornadoes, and monsoons. His latest project, however, was a bit different from the rest: it's one of the first storm time-lapse films to be entirely black and white.

Here’s the Golden Ratio in Ansel Adams’ Photos

Artists have long used the golden ratio as a guide for creating aesthetically pleasing art, as it's believed that the human brain is hardwired to find the proportions inherently beautiful. Take a look at the work of legendary photographer Ansel Adams, and you may find the golden ratio tracing out many of their notable features.

Summarizing My Wedding Photos This Year… Without the Bride and Groom

Who thinks wedding photography has become a bit predictable this year? Boring, even? Sure, the first time you see a teeny tiny couple lost in a massive landscape, it's impressive. Or a backlit couple in profile. Or a couple shot through loads of out of focus lights. Or hand in hand, silhouetted, between fairy lights, having just stepped over a prism and climbing a mountain (because that’s what happens on a wedding day).

Philanthropy Through Photography: How to Do Good with Your Camera

If you were to ask me about a specific time in my life when photography made a significant impact, I would say the fall of 2011. For my birthday, my husband surprised me by taking me out for lunch at a tiny burger dive, and then stopping in at the local art museum. He’s not exactly an “art-lover” per say, so I was a little confused by the move... until he explained what they were showing.

How To Do A 365 Photo Project Without Failing

I'm a photography addict...and happy to admit it! So how did this addiction take hold? Well, it's all down to something I've been doing every single day for the last eight years: a 365 project. And it still hasn't ended yet!

How to Get Better at Photography

I think you can look around at a lot of the content based around photography on the Internet and extract a theme: people want to be better photographers.

5 Projects to Push Your iPhone Camera to its Limits

For the past few years, I have been really enjoying pushing the iPhone camera as far as it can go, to do photography projects that many people might not have realized you can do with an iPhone. I also use other cameras, but there’s something fun about the always-in-your-pocket aspect of iPhone photography.

20 of the Most Beautiful Drone Photos of 2016

Image sharing site Dronestagram is no Instagram, with its 600 Million users, but the drone-specific social network does contain some of the best aerial photography on the Internet. And today, they revealed their 20 best drone photos of 2016.

You Don’t Need to Spend a Fortune to Have a Great Photo Studio

I have a studio. For those of you that know me -- the author of the Studio Anywhere books, which focus on shooting anywhere but a studio -- this statement may sound oxymoronic or even blasphemous. Nonetheless, after years of shooting in my cramped basement, I finally outgrew my space and needed a slightly larger, dedicated space to have for working with clients.