Photography Blogs & Tutorials

I recently had the opportunity to review the Syrp Genie Mini Panning Motion Control System for time lapse and live action video ($249 from B&H, Amazon). If you’re looking for an economical way to add clean, smooth motion to your time lapse or live action video clips, the Syrp Genie Mini is a great place [...]

The post DIYP reviews the SYRP Genie Mini – A... more

There has been, and likely always will be, a lingering debate among professional photographers and amateur photo enthusiasts, about whether or not a third party lens can be every bit as good as the native glass produced by your camera’s manufacturer.

There is often a margin of compromise between cost and quality. Over the last five years or so, that margin has... more

There is a mindset that a lot of photographers seem to have around anything but manual mode is cheating. Not only does this frustrate me as a statement, but it’s just bad advice, that hinders the photographic progress of others. I would argue that there’s no cheating in photography, and thatusing your camera in fully manual modes actually makes itharder to achieve the photo you’re looking for – so let’s take a look at why semi-automatic modes are a good... more

Photography is awash with rules, from the inverse square rule to the Sunny 16 rule; and nestling among the composition rules in the golden ratio. But what exactly is it? And what makes it compositionally valuable? The golden ratio is a mathematical principle that you might also hear referred to as the golden mean, the [...]

The post What is the golden ratio and why is it meant to be beautiful?... more

The folks at SLR Lounge were kind enough to let us post one of their premium tutorials here. While none of the techniques they show requires special gear, I am really impressed with the results you can get with some creativity. They were actually even sweeter and gave us a discount code if you want [...]

The post Off Camera Flash Techniques For Dramatic Portrait Lighting... more

What is Figure Ground Relationship? Figure Ground Relationship is the relationship of the subject you wish the viewer to focus on and how it relates to the background / foreground. Most people refer to this as a “Silhouette” however it goes much deeper than this. Instead of thinking “This shot works because there’s a silhouette [...]

The post Figure Ground... more

I needed an action camera to document DIYP’s trip to Photokina in September. I didn’t really want to have to fork outfor a GoPro. It’s just not something I’d use often enough to justify the cost. So, I looked into the cheaper alternatives. This is when I found the Yi HD Action Camera,and some of [...]

The post How to hack the $100 Yi action camera to beat a... more

Theres something about the way sunlight illuminates a room. The light pours over surfaces, metal fixtures gleam, wood detail shines, and the edges of furniture upholstery glows. Natural shadows produced by different objects convey a sense of depth. A naturally-lit image gives you a feel for what it would be like to see the space in person.

The following will give you a basic understanding of equipment needs, how to manage contrast and mixed lighting in a room, and HDR shooting... more

Well its here, and whether you like it or not, Instagrams new Stories feature is taking direct aim at Snapchat and the minutia of our daily lives. I, for one, am loving it. Stories allows us to share things with our followers that we might never post, humanizing our digital personas and connecting with the [...]

The post How Photographers Should Use Instagram Stories appeared first on... more

During my career in photography, Ive continued to evolve, both my shooting and editing styles, to achieve the results I wanted. Several years ago, while working with film editors on a cinema project, I came across a concept that I decided to apply to my own photography, and I have to say, it has improved my final images a great deal. Let me explain about using flat picture styles.

When Hollywood studios film a movie using a digital cinema camera, many times the camera will be... more

Pages