Tips

Optical Slaves and Why They Belong in Your Camera Bag

There are unfortunately times when technology just lets us down. It’s not always because it inevitably breaks either: sometimes it is simply because every piece of gear has its strengths and weaknesses, and flash triggers are no exception.

How to Direct a Young, Inexperienced Model During a Photo Shoot

As a photographer on set, it's your job to get the most out of your models—to make them feel comfortable, and help them help you achieve your vision. In this great video, photographer Clinton Lubbe of dphog explains how to do this when your model is young, inexperienced, or both.

5 Mistakes Photographers Make in Photoshop

Making mistakes is a powerful learning tool, but that statement only holds true if you realize what you're doing is a mistake. To that end, here are 5 of the most common Photoshop mistakes photographers make.

Understanding the Basic Laws of Light, Part 2

It's so easy to get caught up in the minutia of photography. Sure, megapixels, microcontrast, MTF charts, and the like are all important, but only after you understand how to work with the most important piece of the photographic puzzle: light.

Tilt-Shift Lenses: How They Work and How to Use Them

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.

Teleconverter vs Crop Sensor: Why a Teleconverter is a Bad Decision

If you're a wildlife photographer, always aiming for more reach without sacrificing sharpness or shutter speed, this is a question you've probably asked yourself: Is it better to use a full-frame camera with a teleconverter, or switch to a crop sensor camera instead? Photographer Steve Perry has your answer.

Overcoming Your Fear of Photographing Strangers

Dear Photographer,

This is one of my favourite subjects I love teaching in my workshops, as most people feel awkward about approaching people on the streets to photograph them.

7 Tips That Will Help You Extend Your Camera’s Battery Life

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.

Build This Useful DIY Reflector Holder for Just 10 Bucks

Here's a quick DIY build for cash-strapped studio photographers who are sick of gaffer's tape-ing their reflectors to light stands. YouTuber Joe Edelman will show you how to build not one, but two DIY studio reflector holders for 10 bucks total.

Camera Drone Safety Tips from an Airplane Pilot

I hold a private pilot certificate, as well as a remote pilot certificate; I am also a photographer. I just wanted to share with you some advice from a budding pilot who comes from the much larger world of flying that is general aviation.

How I Capture Genuine Moments with Complete Strangers

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.

Capturing the Milky Way with a Phone, Compared to the Sony a7R II

I just got back from Batanes as part of a large group of bloggers and other media people who were there to try out the photography features of the Asus Zenfone 3 line of mobile phones, courtesy of Asus Philippines. I was there mainly as a resource person on shooting the Milky Way, but I was intrigued about the possibility of pulling off Milky Way shots using a mobile phone.

5 Best Lenses for Portrait Photography

Questions on the subject of lens choice are as limitless as lens choice itself. Show me 10 photographers and I’ll show you at least 11 divergent opinions on which lens is right for a particular type of photograph.

What I Learned from My First Instagram Takeover

At the time of my takeover of the Visit Faroe Islands account, my own account was around 5k followers. To briefly run and manage a page that has surpassed 100k was a great learning experience. Here are a few things I learned along the way that might help others.

10 Novice Photoshop Mistakes You Should Avoid

Selective color, bad HDR, over-sharpening, we've all seen (and if we're honest, probably made) these Photoshop mistakes... but are you sure you're still not committing some Photoshop faux pas? In this video, Nate Dodson of TutVid covers 10 common novice mistakes you should avoid.

8 Tips for Leaving a Light Footprint as a Travel Photographer

“Take only photos, leave nothing but footprints.” We've probably all heard the saying, but what does it mean? Basically 'take only photos, leave nothing but footprints' means to make as little impact on an environment as possible.

10 Instagram Tips for Photographers

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.

Why The Golden Ratio Is Better Than The Rule Of Thirds

A long time ago I was a young art student, being told about the “Rule Of Thirds.” I was told it’s one of the most important fundamentals of art and photography, as it helps you get the right composition in your images.

9 Simple DIY Hacks and Tricks for Photographers

DIY photography tricks... need we say more? Whether you're stuck in a creative rut or just want to break out of your photography comfort zone a bit, this video is the perfect way to start the week.

Quick Tip: A Cleaner Way to Sharpen Your Photos in Photoshop

When you sharpen a photograph, what you're doing is adding contrast to the edges in an image, but unfortunately, that often leads to black and white edging in some areas. In this short, useful Photoshop tutorial, Jimmy McIntyre will show you how to avoid this and sharpen your photos cleanly in Photoshop.

How to Fix a Damaged Tripod Thread at Home on the Cheap

If the tripod thread on the bottom of your camera or favorite accessory breaks, don't go throwing the whole thing away or sending it off for an expensive repair. All you need is about $25 and some DIY know-how to fix it yourself.

Simple Trick Helps You Find Hyperfocal Distance Without Charts or Apps

Hyperfocal distance—commonly defined as "the closest distance at which a lens can be focused while keeping objects at infinity acceptably sharp"—is critical for landscape photographers who want their whole frame in focus. Here's a trick for nailing hyperfocal distance without resorting to charts or smartphone apps.

Top Tips for Shooting Your First Family Photography Session

Family photography can be incredibly rewarding, although is not without its potential pitfalls. Some children love having their photos taken and will perform for the camera. Others would rather be anywhere else than standing in a posed group shot with mum and dad.

Before and After ‘Levitation’ Photos, Plus Tips and Tricks

'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).

Ignoring the Rule of Thirds: When and Why ‘Bad’ Composition Works

For many advanced photographers, the rule of thirds is seen as something of a beginner's trope or amateur construct, but learning how, why, and when to break it can be a challenge. This short episode of Brain Flick helps deconstruct that question and explain why and when "bad" compositions work.

Quick Tip: How to Handle Difficult to Remove Spots in Lightroom

Longtime Adobe Lightroom team member Benjamin Warde shares a very useful little tip in this 60 second episode of Lightroom Coffee Break. If you've ever run across a difficult-to-clone spot in Lightroom, Warde shows you how to use a setting that will definitely help.

Capturing Compelling Compositions

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.

Two Ways to Dodge and Burn More Effectively in Photoshop

While Photoshop does have the "Dodge" and "Burn" tools, using them destructively on your original image is definitely not the best way to edit your photos. Check out this tutorial to discover two dodge and burn techniques that are more effective, cleaner, and smarter.