When you're building a PC for photo editing purposes, you may think it's critical to go with a top-of-the-line configuration. After all, most photographers are using complex post-processing software like Photoshop and Lightroom that can benefit from a fast computer. But even though that's true to a certain degree, there...
Many new photographers find that while shutter speed, aperture, and ISO make sense in theory, it is hard to know where to start in practice. Even if you understand basic camera settings, getting high quality photographs - especially indoors - is not always an easy task. In other words, maybe...
Upsampling is a tool in most post-processing software that allows you to increase an image’s resolution after taking it. Upsampling lets you boost, say, a 24 megapixel image to 48 megapixels, 96 megapixels, or 240 megapixels! But doing so doesn’t mean you’re actually capturing more detail. This article covers everything...
Most of the time, when you see a good photo, you'll get a sense that the photographer took it deliberately. But how can you tell that? What subtle things about the photo make it appear deliberate rather than random? That’s what I’ll cover today. Getting the Technical Things Right The...
I just realized that I’ve been doing photography seriously for ten years (plus some change). So, I'd like to take this chance to look back and share ten of the most important things I’ve learned along the way, in chronological order. 2012: JPEG Has Consequences The first trip I took...
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. AHDR isn’t a popular technique at the moment, but I’ll make a case in this article...
Simply seeing the Milky Way is already an awe-inspiring experience, and photographing it is one of my favorite things in the world. Although I've already written several articles about photographing the stars, today I wanted to specifically cover the gear needed to get great night sky photos. This article is...
You can easily fill a backpack (or even the trunk of a car) with a landscape photography kit. Cameras and lenses only scratch the surface - there’s an overwhelming number of other accessories out there. This article breaks down what’s available and explains exactly what a landscape photographer really needs....
If you are a Nikon mirrorless shooter, you might be wondering about which Z mount lenses are the best, and which combinations of zoom and prime lenses are ideal for your camera bag. While Spencer has already done a great job making a list of recommended Nikon Z lenses for...
Whether Nikon's Z-series mirrorless system succeeds or fails depends disproportionately on cameras like the Nikon Z6 II. As a 24-megapixel, $2000, full-frame mirrorless camera, the Z6 II is aimed at many of Nikon's target photographers: DSLR holdouts, Z6 upgraders, first-time Nikon shooters, and more. Traditionally, even though $2000 is far from...