Earlier this week I posted a portrait as the next installment to our How Was This Picture Taken series. Most of our readers took this as an opportunity to stretch their brains a bit and try to use visual clues within an image to figure out how it was taken....
Visions of Vietnam – Four Photographers, Four Styles
As a Southeast Asia nomad for the better part of two decades, Vietnam has always been one of my very favorite places to photograph. On the surface it’s easy to see why – the spectacular, seemingly endless mountain rice terraces of the northwest; 54 colorful tribal/ethnic groups, most of whom...
How to Eliminate Ghosting and Flare in Landscape Photography
When photographing landscapes and including a bright source of light like the Sun, we often end up getting quite a bit of ghosting and flare in images. Although seeing lens flare is quite normal in both images and video (in fact, videographers and movie makers often purposefully add ghosting and...
How Was This Picture Made #05?
For Part 5 of our How Was This Picture Taken series, I present to you: this portrait. The answer has been posted here. (more…)
Aukey Cell Phone Camera Lens Review
While some people might consider cell phone photography inferior to using a "real" camera, there are many who strongly believe that, as Chase Jarvis says, the best camera is the one that you have with you. These days, that camera is typically going to be a phone. With that in...
Memories of Cuba
My wife and I recently returned from a quick one-week vacation in Cuba at an all-inclusive resort in the Rafael Freyre area that we've been to a number of times in the past. While we enjoy vastly different things while on holiday, memories for both of us are found in...
Beginner’s Guide to Nikon Creative Lighting System
So you want to get your flash off camera? If you want to improve your flash lit portraits you need to get your flash off the camera. A great way to start is to use Nikon’s own CLS (Creative Lighting System). Since a lot of people will own one of...
How Was This Picture Made #04: The Answer
This article is the answer to my “How was this picture made?” post from a couple weeks ago. First, an apology – I intended to have this article published several days ago, but my winter classes already have taken their toll on my spare time (and sleep). That said, I...
How to Take Really Long Exposures with a DSLR
In my photography classes I often get asked, “What is a long exposure?” Many beginning photographers want me to give them a definitive shutter speed with my explanation. However, long exposures are not only subject driven, they are largely based on the artistic vision you have for your photograph. Panning,...
Zabriskie Point – My Old Enemy
I love Death Valley. Despite its name, it is one of the most stunning places on this planet to visit, enjoy and photograph. While I have been to many areas of the park, every time I visit, I find something new to explore. Since my first visit to Death Valley...