Manually focusing your camera lens can seem tricky. Compared to the ease of autofocus, you may wonder why you even still have manual focus as an option. It still has a number of important uses, however, and it’s a great skill to learn. In this introduction to manual focusing a...
Photography Techniques Category Archive - Page 2
10 Tips for Better Bokeh in Photography
“Bokeh” is a term to describe the quality of out-of-focus areas in a photograph, both in the foreground and background. Although some aspects of bokeh are subjective, everyone seems to like creamy, smooth bokeh, whereas the infamous “onion rings” are unwanted in photos and probably better left as a food.
10 Tips for Taking Beautiful Photos in the Rain
“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day.” This line from an old nursery rhyme has popped into my head many times over the years growing up in the soggy Pacific Northwest. It came to mind again when I arrived at North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway to photograph autumn and...
My Favorite Things I Learned About Photography in 2021
I never want to stop picking up new techniques in photography. If you’re constantly learning, you’re constantly improving. Now that 2021 is coming to a close, I’d like to share some things I learned this year and how they’ve helped my photography grow.
How to Make Your Tripod More Stable
Some of the most common advice in photography, especially for landscape and architectural work, is to use a tripod. But the story doesn’t end there. Even if you have a top-of-the-line tripod and head, bad tripod technique can result in some seriously blurry shots.
Mastering Focus Stacking for Stunning Macro Shots
Macro photography is about capturing the smaller world around you. A little adjustment to the aperture and there you are, zooming into the subject to reveal its inherent brilliance. The popularity of macro photography is growing exponentially, thanks to the popular concept of Focus Stacking. Beginners reading this must be...
Averaged High Dynamic Range Technique (AHDR) Explained
A technique I recently learned allows you to capture lots of dynamic range in photography with better results and fewer downsides than traditional HDRs. I call it “AHDR” for “Averaged High Dynamic Range” photography.
15 Tips for Photographing the Ocean
With warmer weather on the horizon (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere at least), it’s a great time to start thinking about how to photograph the ocean. The ocean is my personal favorite landscape subject, but anyone who has taken their camera along to the beach knows that...
Macro Photography Ideas to Try at Home
Most of us have gotten rather used to our homes over the past year. And most photographers, including me, have had a harder time finding interesting subjects and inspiration as a result. But one of the best things about macro photography is that you can do it anywhere, including indoors,...
Wildlife Photography Without a Supertelephoto
Even though my longest lens is a 70-200mm f/4, I’m still a big fan of wildlife photography. What’s not to like? Sitting around for hours without any luck, cursing your autofocus system, getting acquainted with mosquitos and other bugs while you wait…