Say that the sun just set, and you’re trying to take photos of the blue glow that now sits on the horizon. Seems like the perfect backdrop for a beautiful landscape, doesn’t it? But in order to capture the photo you want as well as possible, there’s one piece of camera equipment that is absolutely essential: a tripod. Landscape photography and tripods go hand in hand, but there’s a lot of important information about them that many photographers don’t know.…
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Tips for Photographing Bouldering and Climbing
Originally used as training for alpine or big wall climbing, bouldering is now well established as a sport in its own right. You climb a “problem,” typically on a free-standing boulder (hence the name) or the base of a cliff. Problems range from a single move through extended sequences. The compressed nature of the problems means the style of climbing can be much more powerful and/or gymnastic than other types of climbing. For me, it is climbing distilled, and the joy…
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Recommended Camera Settings for Portrait Photography
Taking pictures of people can be challenging for an amateur photographer. Everyone enjoys seeing good portrait photos, whether of family, friends, or just an interesting face. And, as photographers, we also enjoy being able to make an image quickly, which is why we hate when something goes wrong with the photo or with our camera settings. With that in mind, here are some technical tips to help you improve the quality of your portrait photography and use the best possible…
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A Study in Light, Shadows, and Landscapes
In the third of a series of follow-up articles to The Quality of Light, I will delve into my revered interests in photography: light and landscapes. In this article, I will extend the discussion of the quality of light by examining how landscape photographers of all levels can use light and shadows to create more compelling landscape images. I will also examine briefly the challenges in balancing light and composition in landscape photography.
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Nikon D5600 Review
This is a detailed review of the Nikon D5600, the newest of Nikon’s advanced entry-level DSLR cameras. The Nikon D5600 packs a lot of impressive features and settings into what is meant to be a “consumer” DSLR, and the result is quite good – but not without flaws. Do the benefits outweigh the problems? In this Nikon D5600 review, we will cover everything you should know before deciding on the camera for yourself.
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Tips For a Successful Self-Driving African Safari
Many photographers dream of the opportunity to photograph Africa’s famed wildlife in its natural surroundings. The ease with which you can find and photograph large mammals in some areas of the continent is incomparable and its landscapes are often striking beautiful. While the thought of traveling there may seem intimidating or unattainably expensive to some, in reality Africa is more accessible than it may feel from the comfort of your armchair. African Safaris come in two basic types: self-driving and…
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Fuji XF 50mm f/2 R WR Review
This is an in-depth review of the Fujifilm XF 50mm f/2 R WR lens. Announced in January 2017, the lens is the third in the line of compact, and weather sealed f/2 lenses made for Fuji’s line of X-series cameras. It joins its XF 23mm and 35mm cousins. This short telephoto (76mm full-frame equivalent) is about half the size and weight of Fujifilm’s 56 mm f/1.2 R lens, and also half the cost! This versatile lens focuses extremely fast so…
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In Birdland with No Camouflage
In this article, I will guide you to the world’s largest northern gannet colony. The Bass Rock (that’s Baah-ss, not the 4 string instrument) is a (very) big volcanic basalt rock in Firth of Forth, just off the coast 20 miles from Edinburgh. Quite old, too: 320 million years, give or take.
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Photographing Snow in Paris
Last winter, the weather was really special in Paris. Snow surprised residents on two occasions. It had not snowed so intensely for more than five years. So, it is easy to imagine the excitement with which the city received this event. Hundreds of photographers went out into the streets to capture the moment. Of course, I was among them. In this article, I would like to show you my selection of the best photos taken those days and to share with you…
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How to Take Interesting Wildlife Images
At least at one point of time in our photography journey, almost all of us want to try our hands on wildlife photography. Be it an attempt to photograph a bird in our backyard or taking a jungle safari, it is pretty rare to see someone with a camera not attempting to shoot the wild side. For a person like me living in India, the land of tigers & elephants to a wide array of resident and migratory birds flocking…
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How to Photograph Figure Skating
I have always liked figure skating. There is something about how skaters glide, apparently effortlessly, on the ice. They show tremendous power, yet such grace. Along the same lines, I have always been interested in photography, although I had never really pursued it until a few years ago. I think the reason was that I hadn’t found a subject that compelled me to go out and start taking pictures. So, when my two daughters got into the sport a few years…
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How to Photograph the Milky Way
Many travel and landscape photographers, including myself, try to avoid shooting scenery with a clear blue sky. As much as we like seeing puffy or stormy clouds to spice up our photographs, we have no control over what the nature provides each day. Sometimes we get lucky and capture beautiful sunrises and sunsets with blood red skies, and other times we are stuck with a clear, boring sky. When I find myself in such a situation and I know that…
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An Update on the Photography Life Guest Post Contest
Thank you to everyone who has entered Photography Life’s 2018 guest post contest We are busy sorting through all the entries, and we wanted to give a quick update on a few questions and comments our readers have had so far. First, the deadline of the contest is Tuesday, May 15. At that point, we will begin sorting and choosing the last of the posts to go online. The final posts will be published on or before May 31, and winners…
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Photographing Gloomy Paris
Paris is the most beautiful city on Earth. Now I can see how that statement may be controversial, so to those who disagree, I concede the following: Paris is the most beautiful city on Earth. With that off my chest, I should also clarify that the word ‘gloomy’ here is used in the context of weather only. Paris is always alive, always upbeat. But in the winter months, it can be gray, cloudy and rainy and it can stay like…
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10 Issues Sony Needs to Address In Its Mirrorless Cameras
For the past few years, Sony has been very active in the photography world, releasing one mirrorless camera after another. Back when I first handled a Sony NEX-series camera, I had no idea that the company would step up into the full-frame market with serious competition to challenge both Canon and Nikon. Without a doubt, Sony caused quite a bit of stir with its full-frame mirrorless cameras and the recent release of the Sony A7 III shows that the company…
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Everything You Need to Know About Macro Photography
Many photographers today want to know how to take macro pictures, thanks to a growing number of beautiful images online of small plants, animals, and insects. Macro photography is not always easy, especially for beginners, but it is one of the most rewarding genres of photography you can do. With the right skills, you will be able to capture amazing images even in your own backyard. To learn macro photography from start to finish, you should begin by reading the tips…
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The Beauty of Design and Street Art in Downtown Christchurch
During our most recent trip to New Zealand my wife and I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours strolling through downtown Christchurch. We were struck by the beauty of the architectural design, sculptures, and the street art that we found during our visit. This article shares some images as well as discussing some composition considerations.
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Choosing the Best Lens for Landscape Photography
If you’re a landscape photographer, you care about lenses. That is true even if you don’t know it’s true – a good lens is arguably the most important piece of equipment you can own. It is a common saying, and almost entirely accurate, that lenses matter more than your camera. So, what lenses are best for landscape photography, and how do you pick the right ones for your needs? This article covers some of the most important considerations.
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Taking Pictures Outside Your Comfort Zone
After deciding to take my photography a little more seriously about three years ago, I came up with a strategy (a somewhat loose one) for how I might improve. My end goal was to find myself as a photographer and improve my skills along the way. In the back of my mind, I still harbour hopes of turning professional, but for the moment I am content with just spending some of my spare time learning and developing my skills. At…
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The Visual Logic of Black & White
It seemed that my university years were filled with little other than lectures, studying, term papers and exams. Having said that, I did secretly have one hobby. In my second year I had purchased a Minolta Autocord film camera. The downside of being an impoverished student was that I could only afford B&W film, B&W chemicals and B&W contact sheets. The square 2-1/4” by 2-1/4” images arranged tightly into rows and columns were my only way to later enjoy what I…
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