Often photography is about grabbing your camera, going to an interesting place, and looking for subjects that catch your eye. No real plan, grab your camera, take a walk, and see what photo opportunities present themselves. There’s nothing wrong with that. Often serendipity will meet your skills as photographer and a good shot will result. …
When Should Serious Photographers Make Snapshots?
Snapshots??!! Most photographers aspiring to improve scoff at making “snapshots”, those being the quick images taken without much thought by the point-and-shoot crowd. We’re serious photographers here and want to instead be Crafting Photographs, right? But in this article, I’m talking about a feature in Lightroom you may not have tried or understood and it …
14 Ways Shooting Still Life Can Improve Your Photography
As a new photographer, there’s a lot to learn. Camera controls, composition, lighting, lens selection and more. Try action, sports, or even wildlife photography and while you puzzle over exposure settings the shot is missed. Try portraiture and your subject may become impatient while you’re trying to get the light right or find the right …
Preserving Your Photo Legacy – 10 Thoughts
Your photography is important to you. Perhaps more than just a hobby or even a profession, it’s a way of life – something that reflects who you are and what you love. You’ve invested many years learning your skills and probably thousands of dollars in equipment. So does that all go away when you’re gone? …
“’Scuse Me, While I Switch the Sky” – The Ethics of Photo Manipulation
With digital editing, if you can imagine it, you can probably do it, often make a convincing image that never really was. Was the sky flat and boring the evening you were shooting at that iconic photo location? No problem, add a more dramatic sky in the computer. It’s not a question if you -can-, …
Landscape Photography – Becoming a Craftsman
I would presume the reason you are reading this article is because, as the name of the website indicates, you want to Improve your Photography. So how does that work? What is it you need to learn? Who can help you learn it? How can you go from being a snapshooter to a photographic craftsman? …
Tips for the Non-Traveling Photographer
So you’re looking over more photos from someone who’s just returned from a trip to an exotic international photo hotspot. You think…”Wow, I could be making great photos too if only I could go there.” Yes, there’s probably some truth in the quote from National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson – “If you want to be …
Ideas for Making Great Rain Photos
Rain, rain, go away. Little Johnny wants to play. Johnny must not have been a photographer. If he was, he might know that when the weather gets bad, the photos get good. Rainy days often provide the drama, the light, and interesting subjects to photograph. The key is knowing what to shoot and how to …
How to Photograph Birds in Flight
“The bird who dares to fall, is the bird who learns to fly” I can’t cite the author of this quote, but I like what it says about taking chances and learning new things. If you are stuck in a rut with your photography, maybe it’s time to “spread your wings.” Few things will challenge …
A Dozen Reasons to Make it Monochrome
The earliest photographers made monochrome images. That was their only option. Today, the general public expects photos to be in color and monochrome is seen as the infrequent option. So why would you make a “black and white” photo when the world is in color and color photography is so easy? Here are a dozen …
Big Results with Little Lights
Most know that the word photography means “writing with light.” But what type of light might that be? Do you need expensive and specialized photo lighting equipment or can you with some ingenuity make compelling photos with cheap lighting creatively used? The first photographers of the early 1820’s could only use natural daylight. Exposures could …
Improve Your Photographic Vision – Add Oil, Water, and Imagination!
Most of us, even non-photographers can see the beauty in a mountain landscape, a sunset, a flower, a beautiful child. These are the kinds of subjects that make us reach for our camera. But when you begin to see and are able to capture in a unique way subjects and beauty in places others might …