Shooting

Express Yourself

We use self-portraits to explore a basic question that plagues all of us: Who am I?

Text & Photography By Meredith Winn
We use self-portraits to explore a basic question that plagues all of us: Who am I? As early as the mid-1400s, artists began painting themselves onto canvas. With the invention of the camera, photographers began turning the image (and their artwork) inward, as well. Yes, a photograph can tell a person what he or she looks like, but we know that the... Read more

Portrait Background Basics

One of the most important things you can do to make better portraits is to find, or create, a background free of distraction.

By Wes Pitts
One of the most important things you can do to make better portraits is to find, or create, a background free of distraction. This doesn’t mean your backgrounds have to be plain, especially if you’re shooting an environmental portrait where context is key. But, generally, you want to find a setting that focuses attention on your subject... Read more

Win A Photo Contest

Whether you’re motivated by the great prizes, exposing your images to a big audience of fellow photo enthusiasts or the possibility of being published, entering a competition can be a rewarding part of being a photographer.

By The Editors
Some of the best images we see here at DP come through our contests. Whether you’re motivated by the great prizes, exposing your images to a big audience of fellow photo enthusiasts or the possibility of being published, entering a competition can be a rewarding part of being a photographer. What do judges look for? We’re going to assume... Read more
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Rock On!

Since the advent of affordable DSLRs, concert and live music photography has become a burgeoning industry for a lot of photographers.

Text & Photography By J. Dennis Thomas
Since the advent of affordable DSLRs, concert and live music photography has become a burgeoning industry for a lot of photographers. Right along with the digital camera revolution, the indie music scene also has flourished, and this has opened up the doors for many photographers, both new and old, to have a shot at photographing live bands. From... Read more

Make Stunning Floral Images

I like to photograph flowers. In fact, I love to photograph flowers! It turns out that I’m in good photographic company.

Text & Photography By Harold Davis
I like to photograph flowers. In fact, I love to photograph flowers! It turns out that I’m in good photographic company. Flowers are a subject that many people want to photograph. However, photographers often don’t know how to approach flowers and macros in a creative way that will show the true beauty of their floral models. Some folks... Read more

Lens On Life

Documentary photography holds the power to capture moments of historical significance, to broaden our exposure to people, places and experiences beyond our reach, to shape (or shatter) our perceptions and to offer an authentic view of humanity.

Text & Photography By Stephanie Calabrese Roberts
Documentary photography holds the power to capture moments of historical significance, to broaden our exposure to people, places and experiences beyond our reach, to shape (or shatter) our perceptions and to offer an authentic view of humanity. While photography is much about exposing what we see, there’s so much more going on beneath the surface. There’s... Read more

Natural-Light Portraits

The majority of David Stoecklein’s images are captured with raw natural light, which instills his photography with a cinematic look and a timeless feel, despite being captured with a modern digital camera.

By David Willis, Photography By David Stoecklein
The majority of David Stoecklein’s images are captured with raw natural light, which instills his photography with a cinematic look and a timeless feel, despite being captured with a modern digital camera. Stoecklein’s talent at harnessing the power of natural light brings drama and atmosphere to his images, and at the same time, working... Read more

Have Camera Will travel

Almost every photographer takes travel images.

Text & Photography By Tom Bol
“What I would do,” I explain to Richard, a workshop participant, “is capture a variety of angles. Try walking completely around the Moai statue and shooting every perspective.” I’m teaching a photo workshop with Photo Quest Adventures on Easter Island, and we’re spending our first day exploring. Fighting jet lag and... Read more

Speed Flash

I still remember the day I first used high-speed sync flash.

Text & Photography By Tom Bol
I still remember the day I first used high-speed sync flash. I was shooting mountain bikers on desert slickrock in Moab, Utah, and I was having a bad day. I was frustrated about getting motion blur every time I took a shot and used flash. Motion blur looked nice on some images, but I wanted a razor-sharp image. I also needed to add some fill-flash to... Read more

Night Photography Tips

Night photography can be quite a challenge. After all, you’re chasing light that’s barely there, and you have to work your camera in the dark.

By William Sawalich
Night photography can be quite a challenge. After all, you’re chasing light that’s barely there, and you have to work your camera in the dark. You can solve the latter problem with a flashlight, but you need skills to handle the photographic hurdles. Keep reading for a breakdown of equipment and techniques that will help you conquer three... Read more