Tutorials

Whether you are a beginning photographer or a seasoned professional, there are always new things to learn and more areas to improve in. PetaPixel regularly publishes in-depth tutorials on a wide range of subjects, from Photoshop tips and post-processing techniques to ideas on building your own cameras and do-it-yourself equipment.

Adobe Supercharged ‘Select Subject’ in the Latest Photoshop Update

Unmesh Dinda over at PiXImperfect recently took the latest update of Photoshop for a spin, and he was blown away by the improvement to 'Select Subject.' This AI-powered selection tool was always okay as a baseline, but now it's gotten so good that Dinda isn't sure he'll be using the Pen tool at all anymore.

How to Shoot and Stack a Photo of Comet NEOWISE

Earlier this week, I brought my Sony 70-200mm lens and drove only about 15 minutes away into Bortle Class 4 skies. What’s really exciting is that I was shooting towards Salt Lake City and the sunset, and still the image turned out remarkably well among all the light pollution and sunset in that direction!

Practical Steps for Wedding Shooters to Stay Safer During COVID-19

It’s difficult to stay safe right now as a normal human, just trying to get groceries and make a living. It’s more difficult if you’re an event or wedding photographer. As an event photographer or wedding photographer, you might be exposed to crowds of people from all over the country, and in some cases from all over the world.

A Beginner’s Guide To Photographing Comet NEOWISE

The comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) has arrived in the night sky here in the northern hemisphere, delighting skywatchers and photographers alike. With planning, patience, and clear skies, you can capture an unforgettable image of this celestial event.

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.

12 Tips for Abstract Landscape Photography

The grand landscapes are beautiful to view and probably the reason you got into landscape photography but the smaller details and intimate scenes can be just as picturesque. Capturing these scenes isn’t only a great way of creating impressive art, it’s also a creative challenge that forces you to think differently.

How to Create More Impactful Landscape Photos

Composition is one of the most important factors in creating impactful and memorable photos. It doesn’t matter how fascinating the conditions are; images that lack a solid composition are less likely to be remembered.

How and Why You SHOULD Blow Out Your Highlights Sometimes

Our friend Pye Jirsa over at SLR Lounge has put together a great portrait photography tutorial that explains when and why you SHOULD blow out your highlights sometimes. It might seem obvious to seasoned shooters, but a balanced exposure is not always the right choice.

An Introduction to Backgrounds for Portrait Photography

Photographer Miguel Quiles has created a quick, crash-course style video that explores the different types of backgrounds you can buy as a portrait photographer, and then explains why collapsible backgrounds might be the best option if you're just starting out.

A System for Finding Work as a Photographer

I was recently asked how to find clients by a new photographer making the leap into professional work during this crazed pandemic. It’s tough any time, but at this time it is even harder.

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.

A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering the Pen Tool in Photoshop

Los Angeles-based automotive photographer Dave Cox (AKA @ShootingDave) has put together a useful beginner's guide that will help you master what he's calling "the sexiest tool" in Photoshop: the Pen Tool. "Sexy" might sound like a stretch, but Dave has a point. The Pen Tool can make detailed masking a breeze... if you know how to use it.

Calculating the Distance of Wildlife in a Telephoto Shot

While enjoying a calm and misty morning at the pier in Malibu, California, I spotted dolphins. After observing them for a while, I noticed that their swimming was synchronized. There was a natural explanation for their circling: a feast had begun, quickly attracting sea lions, pelicans, and seagulls.

4 Top Tips for Taking Better Photos of Your Kids Indoors

We’re forever taking photos of our children. We want to remember those first experiences, milestones, and adventures. But how many of those photos come out the way you intended, and how many make it onto your walls and into photo books?

How to Set Up a Basic Photo Studio at Home Using Only One Light

Filipino portrait and wedding photographer Jiggie Alejandrino recently released a great beginner's guide to creating a basic photography studio at home. In the video, he shows you how you can set yourself up to take beautiful portraits using just one light, a 5-in-1 reflector, and not much else.

Capture Creative Splash Photography with this Simple DIY ‘Catapult’

Matt Huber over at YouTube channel The Garage Learning has put together a fun and creative walkthrough that takes a different approach to splash photography. Instead of manually throwing water onto his subject, he designed a simple 'DIY catapult' that does the job much better than he can.

How to ‘Magically’ Remove Glare from Glasses in Photoshop

Unmesh Dinda over at PIXimperfect has released another exceptional photo editing tutorial that you'll want to bookmark if you shoot portraits. In this video, he shows you a detailed step-by-step method for removing glare from glasses in Photoshop—something all of us have probably had to do at one point or another.

Adobe Launches New Video Series of 60-Second Lightroom Tutorials

If you're looking to hone your Lightroom CC and Lightroom Mobile skills, Adobe has launched a new series of bite-sized video tutorials that you might be interested in. The series is called "In a Lightroom Minute," and it's made up of 60-second (give or take) tutorials that cover a wide variety of topics.

You Can Grow Plants in Used Film Canisters

Houseplants and film photography have both seen renewed interest among younger people in recent years. Here's a neat way to combine these two loves: you can recycle used film canisters by turning them into tiny pots for plants.

How to Experiment with Window Light Portraits at Home

Window light portraits are something we all can do from the comfort of our own homes. It's quite amazing during this time of lockdown, actually having the time to observe the light around the home at different times during the day and how it can transform a room as the sun pops out from behind the clouds. So what a perfect time to learn and practice lighting.

Concert Photographer Shoots Striking Bokeh Panoramas

In Summer of 2019, while working with Elbow in Manchester, concert photographer Peter Neill had an idea. He decided to try and stitch an epic panorama... with a twist. Instead of using a wide-angle, he would use an 85mm f/1.4 and capture a pano of the stage and the crowd, but with a shallow depth of field and bokeh.

My Top 5 Photo Hacks as a Commercial Photographer

Over the past decade and a bit (the years are flashing by!) I have managed to find some great hacks. In this 3.5-minute video, I go through my 5 favorite hacks as a commercial photographer.

How to Rebuild Lightroom Previews to Optimize Speed, Space, and Integrity

Over time, Lightroom may become slow to render thumbnails and scroll through images. Rebuilding all previews may significantly improve performance. It may also significantly reduce the size of your Lightroom catalog. Rebuilding previews also serves as a file integrity check. So what are you waiting for?

How to Use the Underrated FTP Transfer Feature on Sony Cameras

The FTP transfer feature in the Sony α7 Mark III (and other newer Alpha models) doesn't usually get a lot of attention. Sure, with all the modern technologies and apps, it's easy to overlook this humble feature. But when it comes to transferring RAW and JPEG files, FTP can really hold its own.

How to Edit Portraits in Affinity Photo

Portrait and headshot photographer Ivan Weiss recently created a helpful tutorial that walks you through his entire portrait editing process in the popular Adobe alternative Affinity Photo. If you've been wanting to give Affinity a shot, this is a phenomenal resource.

How to Create Silly Animations from Old Public Domain Photos

Thank you to everyone who read the recent article about my short animations, and to all of the people who reached out to ask me for a tutorial. Since so many people were curious, I decided to put together a tutorial where I take you along for the ride while I create one of the animations from the original article.

Sock Puppet Teaches You How to Use Your Camera’s Manual Settings

If you've been looking for a fresh, entertaining take on the standard beginner's guide to
getting out of Auto Mode, look no further. The YouTube channel TheCrafsMan SteadyCraftin has released the strangest (and yet still very informative) tutorial we've seen in this genre.

5 Steps to Ditching Auto and Shooting Manual Mode on Your Camera

If you own a DSLR and have a passion for photography, you have landed in the right place. A lot of people are under the common misconception that buying a new DSLR camera will instantly improve their photography. They place an order, and a few days later, their new, shiny toy arrives on their doorstep. Then things usually get tricky.

A Beginner’s Guide to Focus for Landscape Photography

Landscape photographer and educator Mads Peter Iversen has put together a helpful focus 'primer' for the aspiring landscape photographers out there. In the video, he goes over auto and manual focus technique, his personal workflow, and a few basic tips and tricks that work well for him.

A Beginner’s Guide to Focus Stacking

Focus stacking is a fun and easy technique you can do right at home with nothing more than your camera, lens, and editing software. In fact, the Fujifilm X-T2, X-T3, and X-T4 series of cameras—and many others—contain a "focus bracketing" feature that lets you do this automatically.

How to Calculate Exposure Time with a 10-Stop ND Filter

Have you ever seen long exposure images shot using 10-stop ND filters? They are visually energetic and dynamic due to the motion blur caused by the moving clouds over a long duration of exposure.

Beginner’s Guide to the ‘Best’ Camera Settings for Landscape Photography

The two most commonly asked questions in photography are probably: "what gear do you use?" and "what settings do you use?" In this video, landscape photographer Mads Peter Iversen answers that second question by diving into his typical workflow and explaining when and why to use certain settings when shooting landscapes.

How to Pose Regular Couples for Engagement Photos

As a wedding and engagement photographer, you have an opportunity to work with a diverse range of people, but most of them will not be professional models. In fact, most of your clients probably feel downright uncomfortable in front of the camera, and that awkwardness can show in your photos. It’s up to you to direct your clients into poses that make them look at ease and in the moment.

How to Take Better Photos of Your Kids

If you are a parent with a passion for taking good photos of your kids, this guide will walk you through it and help to improve your skills.

Catchlights: The Small Detail that Can Make or Break Your Portraits

Photographer Joe Edelman has put together a helpful beginner's guide that explains one of the most important (and easy to overlook) details in portrait photography: catchlights. These specular highlights can make or break your photo, and in this video, Edelman covers all of the basic "dos" and "donts" of catchlights in portraiture.

Tweak Your Curves for Another Way to Save Your Highlights

Lightroom has many adjustments and in general, they work reasonably well. I bet the most widely used sliders are the Highlights and the Shadows sliders. There seems to be a general tendency to make sure that the highlights are not blown and the shadows are not blocked.