If you’re bored and looking to shoot something completely new, we’ve got a simple challenge for you. Shoot low! No, we’re not talking about low-light. And we’re not necessarily talking about low shutter speeds. Instead, we mean that you should change your perspective. And if you’re a Sony shooter, you’re in luck. There’s a lens that has this perspective unlike anything else out there: the Tamron 17-70mm f2.8 Di III-A VC RXD.
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The biggest problem for many photographers getting into portrait photography is establishing a connection. Lots of folks just don’t know how to do it. One of the best lessons my mentor taught me was to actually talk to folks. Photographers will traditionally just move someone around, turning them almost into a prop. Don’t do that. Show some dignity. Establish a connection of some sort. This is a guide for everyone who’s wanted to do that. If you’re a street photographer who captures people candidly but wants to take formal portraits, this is for you. If you’re just getting into portrait photography, then this is also for you. Here’s how you establish a connection with a portrait subject.
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For years, I had a lot of significant back pain. It was only in my 30s that I realized how crucial exercise is. Couple that with the fact that we’ve reviewed the most camera bags of any publication on the web, and you genuinely need exercise. Thankfully, the back pain has gone away with exercise. But more importantly, what we found is that it’s all about exercising your core. If you’ve been curious about self-care for photographers, we invite you to dive in with us.
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Rembrandt lighting refers to a very specific lighting style. More or less, if you think of a little triangle of light, think of Rembrandt. It comes from a painterly look, and in photography it can flatter your subject. Tons of tutorials out there tell you all about the history of it. So in this one, we’re diving into our archives to give you a practical idea of how to use Rembrandt lighting. We’re also going to give you some tips from experience.
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Fact: Vintage lenses are superior to modern lenses in most ways. Modern post-production is so good that it can remove any flaws in a photo. However, if you want to engineer them back in, it becomes more expensive and annoying. Indeed, vintage lenses give you a look you can’t get with modern lenses anymore. And because of that, we’re giving you tips on how to make the most of them.
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The 50mm lens puts photographers into one of two camps. Some subscribe to it like they’re going to church. They listen to its every word and receive joy similar to being part of a passionate community. Other photographers think the 50mm lens is also like church, but they’re the folks who sleep during the sermon until someone lets them know they’re snoring. Those people will keep a 50mm lens around just because they might need one. But in the past few years, I’ve found ways to make the 50mm lens less boring.
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There are still photographers who hate electronic viewfinders (EVFs). They just can’t get used to them. But sometimes, I think that it’s part of just not adapting and embracing what’s possible. I myself love electronic viewfinders. They’ve revolutionized how much easier it’s become for someone legally blind (me) to use a camera. But at the same time, I keep them functioning like optical viewfinders. Technologically, they’re superior to optical viewfinders. They’re also better if you understand them. So I’m going to help some folks understand electronic viewfinders better.
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Years ago, photographers stopped using UV filters on their lenses. It affected image quality way too much, and we often didn’t need them. UV filters originally protected the image quality from UV rays. But lens technology became so good that they were no longer needed. So, they evolved to become protective filters. Essentially, if the front of your lens took a ding, the UV filter would protect it. In the past few years, photographers stopped using them. Indeed, when I started my career 14 years ago, I swore by UV filters. I remember them protecting my camera as it took a major tumble. But these days? Not so much. And believe it or not, clear filters can affect your image quality.
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The Leica SL2-S has quickly become one of my favorite cameras. It’s got character, it feels great, and more importantly, it’s far different than all other cameras on the market. If a lot of cameras on the market are boring you, then the Leica SL2-S is probably what you want. It’s one of the reasons I picked it up. I’ve been using it for almost a year for various tests and shoots. I really like it.
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Fact: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Asking a stranger for a portrait isn’t as difficult as it seems. And like anything, you sometimes just need to prep for it. But a few bad photographers have given the rest of us a horrible reputation. In truth, it’s not hard to ask someone for their portrait. Sometimes they’ll say no, and other times they’ll say yes. But it’s the approach that matters. We’re going to quickly run through that in this article.
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There are lots of photographers who have used 90mm macro lenses for portrait photography over the years. Logically speaking, it just makes sense. Most macro lenses are handy. In fact, they’re arguably the most useful lenses because of everything they can do. But some Macro lenses are better than others. We’ve tested loads of Macro lenses, and in many situations, we’ve used them for portraits, macro photography, and a lot more. In our search engine, folks were wondering if these lenses are great for portrait photography. So let’s go through it.
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Canon cameras are pretty great at what they do. But sometimes they stick to a very old-school idea of perfection in their images (well, their sensors do). And if you use cameras from Panasonic, Olympus, or Fujifilm, it’s easy to get spoiled with the unique image quality. But lots of folks forget you can tweak Picture Styles in the Canon menu. What’s more, that image quality will mostly translate into the RAW files. So you can tweak as much as you’d like and still enjoy what comes out. In my explorations, I’ve tried to find ways to make the images look like a film stock of some sort, and have come pretty close to Fujifilm Superia. Here’s what I did.
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The world loves to hate on APS-C cameras. But I think the hate is often misplaced and wrong. APS-C cameras can do a wonderful job with image quality. More importantly, they’re usually some of the leading options for press photographers. Because you folks were curious about this and put it into our search engine, we’re helping you get better portraits with an APS-C camera. Take a look and our tips, and hopefully you’ll find them helpful.
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The biggest problem with high megapixel cameras is how they perform in low light. Many have high ISO noise that just isn’t that sightly. Granted, they’ve also done a great job controlling it. So if you want to get rid of high ISO noise without even using editing software, take a look at this guide below.
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Fact: most photographers tend to stick with the stock camera strap they get from the camera manufacturer. In most cases, this couldn’t be any more wrong. It’s convenient for sure, but manufacturer camera straps are often some of the worst we’ve used. They’re not good for a variety of situations, and they’re often uncomfortable. But in most cases, they’re also just plain ugly. Luckily, we’ve been reviewing camera straps for well over a decade. And we probably have the most reviewed of any credible publication. So we’re going to do a deep dive into camera straps and satiate your curiosity.
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If you shoot street photography, you probably know this already. But if you’re a city dweller, you probably are desensitized to a lot that happens all around you. That’s how I used to be. If you’re really into street photography, though, you begin to realize that the best images are of emotional moments. So, you need to rewire your brain to be more vulnerable to them. The tough part is that you’ll innately react to them, and you need to wire your brain to photograph them instead. That’s difficult.
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It’s that time again! Are you ready to photograph the sunset? We are too! It’s always an exhilarating time to make it happen, but how do you do it? Well, we’ve got a great tutorial just for you. If you’re using a smartphone, this will help. If you’re using a dedicated camera, we’re going to make you think totally different. Are you ready?
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We do more than enough capturing. It’s truly time for photographers to start creating rather than capturing. One easy place to start is with in-camera paintings. If you do light painting, this is sort of that idea. But in this case, we’re embracing the flaws of camera shake. The photo industry does so much to prevent it. But the thing is that we’re engineering the fun out of photography. So if you want to make paintings using your camera, try this. You’ll have so much fun!
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The truth is that experienced, passionate photographers know a lot better. We know bokeh isn’t the only reason to choose a fast aperture lens, but it’s a major reason. If you’re a Leica shooter, then chances are you’ve got more sense than this. But if you shoot with any other system, you’ll go for the fastest lens possible. We don’t need them per se. Personally speaking, I don’t own a single Sony lens faster than f1.8. And truer than that, you probably aren’t using fast aperture lenses to their fullest effects. So let’s dive into that.
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Long exposure photography is a genre that once required big, bulky cameras. Now, you can create jaw-dropping long exposures with nothing but a phone. The Sony Xperia 1 II is a smartphone with the abilities of Sony Alpha cameras. including a manual mode. These features make creating long exposures incredibly easy. After the break, we’ll show you how to capture stunning long exposures using nothing but the Sony Xperia 1 II.
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Have you ever wanted to capture stunning pictures of the night sky but weren’t really sure what you need to do? If so, this beginner’s guide to astrophotography is for you. This quick guide will look at astrophotography basics and cover things such as camera settings and the 500 rule. We’ll also take a quick look at how to plan your shoot and how to stack images. So, if you’re ready to try your hand at astrophotography, head on past the break.
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