Tag: Camera Technique
Article: Wedding Rescues
When it comes to personal photographs, some of the most important images are those taken on a wedding day. That puts pros, as well as weekend wedding photographers, under a lot of pressure to get the shot.
Article: Gel The Light
Early in my career, I assisted numerous studio photographers to learn more about lighting. I wanted to master the secrets of capturing those stunning portraits and technical location shots. I soon realized two important things were happening in...
Article: Taking Stock
If making money from your passion for photography has crossed your mind, there has never been a better time. The microstock boom has made it easier than ever for even casual photographers to sell images on the side and grow from there.
Article: The Fine Art of Travel Photography
Beautiful landscapes and townscapes, as well as powerful environmental portraits and photo essays, can be obtained by anyone with a camera, a concept and the desire to do so. But how does one transcend the “I was here” imagery that’s often associated...
Article: The Gritty Portrait
“Can you hang on a little longer?” I ask my friend, Patrick, as he leans off the vertical rock face. “Just a few more shots, and I should have it.”
Article: HDR
High dynamic range (HDR) imaging is one of the most exciting and inspiring (and misunderstood and maligned) recent technological developments in digital photography. At its simplest, HDR is nothing more than a series of field and postproduction...
Article: Setting The Stage
Environmental portraits—photographs of people in a surrounding that relates to who they are or what they do—have been the staple of newspaper and magazine photographs since the halftone process enabled images to be reproduced in those mediums. Early...
Article: Get The Right Light
One general question I’m asked frequently while teaching photo workshops is, “How can I improve my images?” Participants expect to hear answers like, “Try a different lens,” or, “Change the composition.” True, these things may help, but many times I...
Article: Once Upon A Time In The West
Howdy, pardner! I’m glad you could join the posse in the search to rustle up new creative imaging ideas. You’re riding with some talented folks. By now you may have guessed that, like many kids who grew up in the 1950s, I have the soul of a cowboy...
Article: Photo Workout: Flex Your Photographic Skills
How do you become a better photographer? You can read articles in magazines like PCPhoto, study books and attend workshops. All of these pursuits will help you learn new and improved techniques for photography.
Article: Golden Light Photography
The magic hours—the hours immediately after sunrise and just before sunset—are times of amazing light for photography. The time is brief, but the great thing is that twice a day, every day, there's a generous helping of breathtaking ambient light...
Article: 10 Ingredients For Successful Images
If you're in the mood to cook up some sumptuous photographs, here's a quick 10-step recipe that I think you'll find appetizing. To illustrate this article, I'll use photographs that I took on a recent trip to Papua New Guinea. While some of you may...
Article: Exposure Creativity
Are you sure you want to do this? I holler to my friend Patrick above the thunderous roar of the waterfall. He gives me a thumbs-up and a smile. One mistake, and Patrick is going to get seriously injured—or worse.
Article: Exploring Focal Lengths
How much thought have you given to that lens on your camera? Most lenses today are zooms, and photographers use that zoom to get more or less of a scene, but your lens is capable of a lot more. Understanding lenses will help you better use any lens...
Article: Digital Infrared Photography
Digital infrared photography opens up a whole new world of creativity, even for photographers who already have a creative bent. If you have an older digital camera that you're not using, two companies, Life Pixel (
Article: The Need For Speed
My guess is that most of you won't be in a situation where you'll be photographing a subject speeding toward or past you at 220 mph, but that's exactly the challenge for Barry Zeek, who specializes in capturing lightning-fast motor-sports action. You...
Article: Pro Tips: Turning Pro
A mid-career switch from electrical engineering to photography wasn't exactly what Paul Kline had in mind when he began taking pictures again. But photography is how he makes his living now, with corporate and editorial clients demanding his...
Article: Ultimate Portraits
No matter what you like to photograph, chances are, at some point you'll find yourself shooting a portrait. Imagine being in the middle of composing that stunning Patagonia landscape image, when a weathered gaucho on his horse gallops up, providing a...
Article: Making A Connection
New York-based Dutch photographer Mirjam Evers has traveled and photographed in more than 50 countries, focusing her camera and her eyes on creating environmental portraits and travel, documentary and adventure photographs. She's able to transcend...
Article: Color Saturation: Getting It Right
While black-and-white photography has enjoyed a rebirth of interest, color is still how the world appears and is mostly photographed. Yet colors you see and experience often don't quite translate to the picture you compose. We also sometimes want to...
Article: Available Light Portraits
I just love natural light," remarks photographer David Stoecklein, whose modern yet timeless portfolio of the American West is proof he knows how to wrangle available light. Stoecklein is constantly on shoots in areas that don't always have running...
Article: Painting With Light
I had 30 seconds left. Running through the pitch-black desert night, I stumbled into a prickly pear cactus, but didn't have time to worry about the quills embedded in my leg. I was in pursuit of a masterpiece! I quickly switched gels, aimed and fired....
Article: Photographing Festivals
The action, costumes, colors and performances at festivals, special events and reenactments make them a ton of fun to attend and photograph. Taking snapshots is easy, but if you want to turn your snapshots into great shots, you have to pay careful...
Article: Trick Shots: Low Light
While recently critiquing the work of one of my students, I noticed that several of his images lacked sharpness, which I immediately attributed to camera shake. We looked at the images' EXIF data to find out at what shutter speed he was shooting...
Article: Trick Shots: Snow
Taking pictures in the snow is cool, literally and figuratively speaking, but snow scenes present certain photographic challenges. First, all that white can fool a camera's exposure meter into thinking that the scene is brighter than it actually...
Article: Trick Shots: Action
From baseball to soccer, race cars to dance, flying birds to breaching dolphins, the world around us is filled with action that just demands to be photographed. In this article, we'll give you tips and techniques on how you can improve your action...
Article: October 22, 2007 HelpLine
Q) I just bought my first digital SLR; actually, it's my first SLR, too. I've been spending nights and weekends trying to learn all of the various features, but there's one feature that I'm just not getting....
Article: October 1, 2007 HelpLine
Q) I read your HelpLine column a few months back about photographing fireworks. Thanks for the tips. I really like the shots I got, but I'm wondering about overexposure. Also, the...
Article: Creative Photo Projects
Taking, organizing and perfecting your images is a good start, but the best part of photography is getting the "Wow!" from friends and family when you share your shots. Online services and software are making it easier than ever for even casual...
Article: Knockout Color!
Good color in pictures is subjective. Some people like pictures that pop with saturated hues, while others prefer pictures more subdued. What's more, we see colors differently at different times of day—even our mood affects how we see colors. In t...
