The way I see it, sand dunes are among the most wonderful places in the world. They’re the very definition of a windswept landscape — the product of our planet’s most fundamental forces. They also exist everywhere, from coastal regions to deserts that span entire continents. Below, I’ll offer some...
Post Archive By Spencer Cox - Page 50
Recommended Camera Equipment for Beginners
Everyone’s favorite part of photography is camera equipment. I’m kidding, of course — although that is the impression you'll get from certain photographers. But no one can deny that some gear is necessary in order to take pictures. At the very least, you need a camera and lens, but there...
What Are Histograms? A Photographer’s Guide
Histograms are the solution to a fundamental problem in photography: Our eyes don’t always tell the truth. Have you ever been in a dark room, turned on your phone, and felt it blind you like nobody’s business? The same thing can happen in photography. Several times, I’ve taken pictures at...
How to Use Light in Photography
At the end of the day, there's only one reason why people like good photos. It's a simple concept, really, but it also forms the foundation for all of photography. Emotion. For a photo to succeed, it has to resonate with your viewer. That could happen for a number of...
How to Take Sharp Landscape Photos
It’s something we all care about, right? Sharpness! As a landscape photographer, with very few exceptions, taking sharp photos will be an important part of your work. That’s why you’ve spent so much time learning about the technical side of photography — and so much money buying high-quality camera equipment....
Five Landscape Photography Tips for Beginners
If you’re first starting out in landscape photography, you probably have a lot of questions. It isn't always an intuitive field, and not everyone finds a connection to it. That said, landscape photography is such a rewarding pursuit that many photographers want to learn more tips and techniques to practice...
Landscape Photography Composition Tips
How is it that two photographers can visit the same landscape at the same time, but one of them manages to take a better photo? It’s not about equipment, or camera settings, or sharpness. Instead, it’s all about composition. Composition is how you arrange the elements of your photograph to...
What It’s Like to Photograph a Sandstorm
One of the windiest nights I’ve ever taken pictures turned into perhaps the single most rewarding — and frightening — landscape photography experience of my life. I was on the Mesquite Sand Dunes in Death Valley, a place I had visited twice in the past, though under much tamer conditions....
An Easy Way to Compose Landscape Photos at Night
When you're out taking nighttime landscape photos — Milky Way photography, or photos of the Aurora Borealis — one of the most difficult tasks is to compose your photos exactly how you want. The reason? It's simply too dark to see anything. Looking through the viewfinder on a DSLR, it can...
Depth of Field Myths: The Biggest Misconceptions
Depth of field causes more confusion among photographers — beginners and otherwise — than nearly any other topic out there. Many "common knowledge" tips about depth of field have some flaws, or are at least partially inaccurate. At a personal level, it took me far too long to separate the good suggestions...