Just how many types of blur are there? You might rightfully ask, and Lensbaby will respond “lots”. Their newest standalone lens, the Lensbaby Sol 45 was released today, and it takes creative blur to a whole new painterly level. I’ve had my hands on a beta model for several weeks now, and you can colour me …
A Sneak Peek At The Brand New Lensbaby Burnside 35
Today, Lensbaby announced their latest bundle of joy, the Burnside 35. They were kind enough to send me a top-secret advance copy of the lens a couple of weeks ago so that I would be ready to share my thoughts with the readers of Improve Photography. Here’s my take on the Burnside 35. The solid …
Laowa 12mm Wide-Angle Zero D Review
If this is the first you’re hearing of Laowa (sometimes known as Venus Optics), I’m sure it won’t be the last. They are a relatively new Chinese lens manufacturer, and they have been making some really cool and unique specialty lenses. First, they came out with the 60mm 2:1 Ultra Macro lens, you can read …
How to Take an iPhone Photo with the Sun in the Background
Follow these tips on how to take an iPhone photo with the sun in the background and you just might want to make shooting into the sun your new rule.
My Favorite Low-Cost Options for Underwater Photography Cases
Whether you are planning a Caribbean getaway where snorkelling coral reefs will be on the itinerary, or you just want to get better photos of your kids in the pool – at some point the photographer in you is going to demand a shot that can only be achieved by getting IN the water with …
How Does Your Lens Affect Color In Photos?
Have you ever noticed that lens descriptions sometimes refer to the ability to “render color”? I have, and it raised some questions. Isn’t a lens made of glass, and as such, isn’t it clear? How does your lens affect color in photos? Why? Do different lenses actually render color differently? Do more expensive lenses do …
Don’t Sell Your Old Camera! 9 Reasons To Convert To Infrared
As photographers, we are always looking for unique angles and perspectives, exceptional light, and compelling compositions. In a world full of photos, it’s not easy to show something commonplace in a different way. A way that people have never seen before. Infrared photography shows people how the world looks in a spectrum of light that …
Battle of the Bokeh: Lensbaby Twist 60 vs Helios 44-2
Bokeh refers to the way a lens handles points of light that are not in focus. From well-defined starbursts at f16 or higher, down to big, soft, blurry balls at f2.8 or lower, a lens is judged on how well these effects please the eye. Most of the big players in the lens manufacturing world are …
Is The New Lensbaby Velvet 85 The Lens Of Your Dreams?
Introducing the brand new Lensbaby Velvet 85. Is it the lens of your dreams? It is certainly the stuff dreams are made of. The 85 mm focal length puts it squarely in the portrait lens range, making it a welcome addition to the Lensbaby family of velvety, soft focusing lenses. Preceded by the Velvet 56, …
50 Popular Hashtags For Landscape Photography
Since Instagram dumped the chronological feed last year, hashtagging your photos has never been more important. Photos that don’t get a lot of engagement within a short period after being posted will drop further and further down on followers’ feeds and into obscurity. If you love capturing epic photos of the great outdoors, you’ll want …
Ultra Macro Photography With The Laowa 60mm 2:1 Lens
Do you ever drool over photos of exotic places online, but feel like you can’t compete? Expensive travel isn’t the only way to show your viewers fresh sights and perspectives. I don’t care where you live, macro photography is a gateway into a whole new world, right in your own backyard. The Laowa 60mm 2:1 …
17 Tips for Clear iPhone Photos Every Time
Any recent model iPhone comes equipped with a camera capable of taking professional quality photos. So why is Instagram full of blurry cat pics? (No, no – not because of Samsung. Come on now, let’s get serious!) Many people simply don’t know how to get the most out of their iPhone cameras, but that changes, …