Studio Safety: Coiling Cables

Lighting for photo and video involves lots of cords and cables. Most people don’t know how to handle them properly.

By William Sawalich

Discussing the proper way to coil and deploy electrical cables and extension cords may seem ultra-nitpicky, but trust me when I tell you it’s one of the most important skills you can master when you’re working in a studio. Whether you’re doing a quick portrait shoot or working on a big blockbuster movie set, it’s really important for your safety... Read more

Camera Settings For Capturing JPEGs

From Large and Fine to Small and Basic, which JPEG settings are ideal for a given photographic situation?

By William Sawalich

Let’s start this tip with a caveat: I think it’s best to capture full-resolution RAW image files in-camera. This is how I do it, and it’s how I ensure the highest-quality image file with the most options after capture. But sometimes I need to shoot JPEGs, too. Some might say they shoot JPEGs “instead,” but I still prefer to save those high-quality... Read more

Shoot Sports Like A Pro

10 tips to help you capture compelling sports-action photos

By William Sawalich / Photography By Mike Powell

Willingness to go the extra mile is essential for capturing special images whether at the Olympics or Little League. In photographing swimmer Michael Phelps at the Beijing Olympics, Powell scouted ahead of time to find the best location, far from the official position allocated to photographers. Sports photography is one of those disciplines that can... Read more

Delete Your Backups!

Save tons of space by deleting redundant Lightroom backups

By William Sawalich

One of the many benefits of the user-friendly Lightroom image management application is that it’s easier to do repetitive tasks—like periodically reminding you to back up your catalog. Backing up the catalog is a big deal, because a corrupt catalog will drive you crazy. I had corrupt catalogs with a previous program I used, and it was a huge hassle.... Read more

Crop Closer For Better Portraits

Cropping off the top of the head isn’t a mistake—it’s a strategy for more engaging pictures

By William Sawalich

Have you ever accidentally cropped a portrait so close that you cut off the top of the subject’s head? You may have noticed that, for some strange reason, the picture became a little bit more appealing. Well, that was no accident. Cropping the top off of someone’s head is a great way to make a portrait more engaging, because it draws the viewer’s... Read more

The Fine Art Of Travel Photography

Beautiful landscapes and cityscapes, as well as powerful photo essays, can be created by anyone with a camera, a concept and the desire to take memorable images

Text & Photography By Mark Edward Harris

How does a photographer transcend the “I was here” imagery that’s often associated with travel photography and create fine-art images of places near and far? From the dozens of workshops I’ve taught on the subject, as well as talking with—and carefully studying the work of—many of the great globetrotting lensmen and lenswomen in the field,... Read more

Using Photoshop’s Vanishing Point Filter

Clone and stamp with the appropriate perspective to make clean edits against receding patterned backgrounds

By William Sawalich

Sometimes when I’m retouching an image in Photoshop, I need to remove an element of the picture that’s unfortunately on a geometric background. If the element—let’s say it’s a tree branch—was against a blue sky, well, that’s no problem to clone stamp away with a few clicks. But when that tree branch is against a brick wall, and the brick... Read more

Combat Backlighting With Exposure Compensation

Light from behind the subject can fool your camera. Here’s how to trick it back in place for the perfect exposure.

By William Sawalich

In certain lighting situations, your camera’s auto-exposure capabilities will be limited. To put it bluntly, in some scenarios your camera is going to get it wrong. One of the main offenders in the “fool your camera’s exposure meter” arena is backlighting. These are situations where the light behind the subject is much brighter than the frontal... Read more

The Art Of Time-Lapse Photography

Photographer Matt Molloy shares his techniques for creating “timestacks,” his spectacular images of the world

Text & Photography By Matt Molloy

Smeared Sky. Made from 500 photos, this is the first sunset time-lapse I tried the stacking method with. I was surprised with the outcome, but even more so with the feedback. It wasn’t long before it went viral. I was getting lots of emails, some asking questions about the technique and others hoping to share it on their website or blog. Milky Way... Read more

Tripod Maintenance And Repair

How to take care of your tripod so it has a long and healthy life

By William Sawalich

Tripods get taken for granted. But the day you find your tripod has a loose leg or a wobbly head is the day you realize how essential a fully functional tripod really is. Here’s information on repairing common tripod troubles and instructions to help keep your tripod in good working order. A little bit of preventive maintenance will go a long way... Read more

Shutter Speed Basics: Panning For Motion

Intentionally add motion blur to enhance the sense of speed for creative effect in your photos

By William Sawalich

One way to deal with fast-moving subjects in your photographs is to use the fastest shutter speed possible to ensure every moving piece is frozen in place and rendered tack-sharp. This is the traditional approach to preventing blurry pictures, which, according to conventional wisdom, are bad. But, in fact, motion blur in photos can be a benefit. By... Read more

A Foolproof System For Model Releases

Property and model releases are important. Learn how to keep them safe, secure and easily accessible.

By William Sawalich

If you have any plans to use a photograph of a person or their property for commercial purposes, model releases and property releases are necessary. They really should be part of the best practices of any professional photographer. I recommend carrying them in your camera bag, and keeping a virtual release app on your smartphone in order to ensure you’ve... Read more

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