The Pros And Cons Of LED Lights

Considering investing in lights? LED panels are a great option, but only if you’re also aware of their limitations.

By William Sawalich

At my studio, we invested in a pair of Litepanels Astra bicolor LED lights. These panel-style lights consist of an array of multiple diodes (like a whole bunch of little light bulbs) spread across a housing about 12 inches square. They don’t use a lot of power so they’re really energy efficient and even can be run off a battery. They’re really... Read more

Using Snapshots And Virtual Copies In Lightroom

Built-in tools that make undoing your work and creating editing variations a breeze

By William Sawalich

Many times when working on editing digital image files in Lightroom, you may find yourself at a point you might eventually like to come back to, almost like saving a video game to protect your progress in case the zombies up ahead eat your brain. In Lightroom, saving your work in a particular state is done by taking a snapshot of the current state.... Read more

Are DSLRs Still Relevant?

Why DSLRs still rule (and when they really don’t)

By William Sawalich

There are more camera options available today than ever before, which means a lot of good reasons why even serious photographers should consider compact mirrorless and point-and-shoot cameras. But the DSLR is still in many ways the king of the hill. Here’s why you should think of the DSLR first when considering a new camera, and a few reasons why... Read more

Don’t Get Scammed!

There are photographer-specific email scams out there. Here’s how to spot them.

By William Sawalich

There are a lot of bad people out there, trying to trick you out of your hard-earned dollars—Nigerian royalty, a long-lost friend stuck in Istanbul, work-from-home scams and more. There’s even a type of scam out there specific to photographers. When the bad people find out you’re a photographer—by scraping your email from your photo-related... Read more

Using Highlight Tone Priority

This Canon DSLR setting helps rein in overexposed highlights to prevent the permanent loss of detail

By Bill Sawalich

Most Canon DSLRs made in the last several years have included a setting called Highlight Tone Priority. Found in the camera menu near High ISO Noise Reduction and other exposure controls, Highlight Tone Priority sounds like it might be the perfect thing to solve a big digital capture problem—overexposed highlights. And it is, but only to a certain... Read more

Diving Into Underwater Photography

Finding the right lens, best light, sturdiest gear and smartest ways to keep equipment dry

Text & Photography By Jason Bradley

Not every photographer will get to dive with sharks, but with the right techniques and gear, it’s possible to capture breathtaking sub-aquatic photos on any aquatic adventure. Gear Photography By Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo Photography today has no shortage of technical hurdles. It can be daunting to learn about camera sensors, flashes,... Read more

Why You Should Meter Your Portrait Lighting

How to use a handheld light meter to help you craft a perfect portrait lighting ratio

By William Sawalich

Anybody can be a photographer these days. After all, pointing your camera at a subject with enough frequency is bound to eventually lead to an acceptable picture, particularly if you’re reviewing the LCD after every shot and adjusting accordingly. But haphazardly hoping you find your way into a nice picture isn’t a great way to stand out as a talented... Read more

Urban Photography: The City Comes Alive At Night

Finding the soul of the city through night photography

Text & Photography By Brian Matiash

A City Has A Different Look At Night. While I have more than my share of photos of the Tokyo Tower during the day, the elegance and beauty is instantly apparent when viewed from a distance at night. For many reasons, I consider myself very fortunate to have been born and raised in New York. For the first 18 years of my life, my entire world was made... Read more

Make Your Own Lens Flare In Photoshop

Add to the look of authenticity in your images with a bit of fabricated lens flare

By William Sawalich

Last week we discussed how shooting into a backlit situation produces interesting lighting almost without fail. One of the most interesting results of shooting into a light source is lens flare. Whether you’ve shot an image with lens flare that just isn’t quite appealing enough, or whether you want to capitalize on the increased “authenticity”... Read more

Sports: The Competitive Edge

A professional approach to modern sports photography

Text & Photography By Brett Wilhelm

In the sponsor-rich world of televised competition, clean backgrounds can be hard to come by. Separating the athlete against the sky while still showcasing the fans and overall ambience makes for a compelling competition shot. Advancing technologies and evolving educational resources in the last decade have led to a new golden age in digital sports... Read more

Shoot Into The Light

Everything is better with backlight

By William Sawalich

Everything is better with backlight. That’s a lesson I learned 20-plus years ago shooting sports, and I put it to use today for everything from tabletop food photography to portraits and events. Why is backlighting so great, and how do you work with it? Read on to find out. Edge Separation. That lesson I learned 20-something years ago was about edge... Read more

Setting The Scene For Landscape Photography

How to quickly and easily capture the grandeur and beauty of the world around you

Text & Photography By Glenn Randall

Plan Ahead. I had planned this photograph of the Milky Way over Turret Arch and South Window in Arches National Park, Utah, months in advance using The Photographer’s Ephemeris and Skygazer. Landscape photography looks so easy. We’ve all pulled up to a scenic overlook or arrived at our destination on a hike, and said, “Wow!” But as most of us... Read more

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