4 Tips For Portraits On The Run

How to create simple, effective travel portraits

Text & Photography By Tom Bol

“Okay, this is perfect,” I explain to my workshop group under the blazing Namibian sun. “Let’s ask the woman to stand in the doorway of this hut. The roof will provide covered shade, and the interior will be completely black.” We are visiting a Himba village in Namibia near the Angolan border. Our guide has arranged a visit to a tribe that... Read more

Lighting Studio On The Go

Go mobile by building a rolling studio lighting kit

William Sawalich

For photographers who like total control over their lighting, there’s nothing better than studio-style strobes. They provide power and versatility, with an abundance of easily adjustable light modifiers readily available. But while they may be the ultimate photographic lighting tools, they’re also kind of cumbersome and they’re not particularly... Read more

How To Digitize Film Without A Scanner

Get better quality, and do it faster and easier, by shooting negatives and transparencies with a camera and film-digitizing adapter

William Sawalich

Scanning film is tedious, time-consuming and expensive, and the results don’t always seem worth the effort. But since most photographers these days are armed with high-resolution digital cameras, that opens up a faster, easier and more affordable option to digitize film—and the results are outstanding. It’s the Nikon ES-2 Film Digitizing Adapter,... Read more

Guide To Focus Stacking

Use this technique to gain better control of your photograph’s focus

Text & Photography Brian Matiash

Today’s cameras are impressive in how accurately they can autofocus: Look how deftly my camera locked focus on the subject’s face in a moving car as I panned and while the primary subject zoomed through the frame. But even today’s cameras can have trouble focusing in some situations, and that’s where focus stacking can help. The companies that... Read more

Sensor Cleaning Best Practices

Safe and effective techniques for getting dust off a camera sensor

William Sawalich

Mirrorless cameras are missing one thing: the mirror. Sure, not having a swinging mirror in the body enables all sorts of things, including smaller bodies, lower weights, fewer moving parts, live-view electronic viewfinders, etc. Unfortunately, it also allows dust and dirt to more easily come into contact with the sensor. So, as I recently discovered... Read more

Spot Healing Brush Options

Content Aware, Proximity Match and Create Texture. Which one should you use?

William Sawalich

If there’s one Photoshop tool that makes an impact on almost every image I shoot, it’s the spot healing brush. This tool is as close to a magic fix as anything in the application. Simply click it on a spot in your image you want to eliminate, and voila, like magic, Photoshop makes that spot disappear. It’s perfect for repairing blemishes, sensor... Read more

Classic Portrait Light

Transform your portraits by learning these four lighting patterns.

William Sawalich

Rembrandt Lighting: Named for the famous 17th-century Dutch master painter, this technique emphasizes light and shadow, adding mystery and a bit of drama. When learning to craft beautifully lit portraits, you will find no better place to start than with classical lighting patterns. These lighting setups have laid the foundation for portraiture since... Read more

Updating Camera Firmware

Manufacturers often offer free updates to camera software in order to improve their functionality and features

William Sawalich

Firmware is the software that makes your camera work. Think of it like the operating system that runs the internal computer. The camera manufacturer will occasionally offer updates to the firmware in order to introduce new features and make improvements to the camera—things like video frame rates, autofocus capabilities, image processing, operating... Read more

The Top Five Non-Camera Accessories That Should Be In Your Kit

Of course you need a camera, lenses, batteries and media. But what other gear should you consider essential?

William Sawalich

Your go-to kit likely contains your cameras, lenses, batteries and media. But you never know what situations may arise in the studio or on the road. Adding these five accessories to your kit will make sure you’re prepared for almost anything. Neutral Gray Card No matter how you set the white balance on your camera—be it auto, by Kelvin... Read more

Make Better Pictures In Snow

Camera techniques to create strong photos when winter blankets the world with snow

William Sawalich

Last week, we talked about keeping yourself and your gear warm and dry when shooting outdoors in winter. But, once you’re well prepared to be comfortable and productive when shooting in snow, how do you go about, you know, actually making great photos? Here are some tips for making the most of the peculiar photographic opportunities that occur when... Read more

Capturing Meaningful Macro Compositions

Whether shooting outdoors or indoors, macro photography is a powerful tool to help you create exceptionally expressive images of a world we don’t generally explore

By Terry Sullivan

On the day of our 25th anniversary, I bought my wife a large bouquet of red roses, which I also incorporated into my photo shoot. In this photo of a single rose, I included a small transparent ridge from the plastic wrapping that the bouquet came in, which let me add another layer of complexity to the composition by juxtaposing an artificial pattern... Read more

Winter Photography Do’s And Don’ts

Winter brings unique outdoor photography opportunities. It also requires a bit more forethought to keep photographer and equipment warm and dry.

William Sawalich

I know it can be difficult to get out and take pictures this time of year when cold weather makes it much more comfortable to stay warm and dry indoors. But the payoffs for making the effort to get out and photograph outdoors in winter can be well worth it. Here are a few ways to keep yourself and your equipment safe and warm when photographing outdoors... Read more

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