Save, Give, Learn, and Create with the $89 Complete Photography Bundle

The complete photography bundle from 5DayDeal will allow you to save big bucks, learn new skills, and help those in need.

Do you want to learn new techniques? Do you want to understand how some of the most respected photographers in the world achieved their success? If so, you’re in luck. It’s not every day that you get to learn from the world’s best. With this $89 complete photography bundle from 5DayDeal, you can learn from Serge Ramelli, Matt Granger, Scott Kelby, Jerry Ghionis, Nick Page, and many more. You can own over 20 class-leading tutorials for just $89. On top of those tutorials, you’ll get a 6-month subscription to SmugMug too! As a bonus, you’ll be helping those in need as 5DayDeal gives 10% of your purchase to charity. Find out more after the break.

Continue reading…

Learn How Powerful Photoshop Is for Landscape Photography with Nick Page

Essential Photoshop For Landscape Photography with Nick Page is one of the brilliant tutorials in the incredible $89 5DayDeal bundle.

Be honest. How long have you been scared of Photoshop? For me, it’s as long as I can remember. I am incredibly comfortable using Lightroom and Capture One, but Photoshop is terribly intimidating. I’ve found out, though, that it doesn’t have to be that way. As a landscape photographer myself, I have always wondered what I might be missing out on by not having an understanding of Photoshop. Well, Nick Page just showed me. Essential Photoshop For Landscape Photography is only one of the 25 tutorials in the $89 5DayDeal Complete Photography Bundle 2020, and honestly, it’s worth the price of admission alone. Here’s our quick review of this enlightening tutorial.

Continue reading…

This Photo by Stephen Dalton Isn’t Photoshopped. It’s Kodachrome!

Stephen Dalton shot this mesmerizing image in 1973 in a single shot.

If you looked at the lead image today, you might think it was done in Photoshop. But you’d be wrong. Sadly, we’ve lost the art of creating in-camera. But photographer Stephen Dalton shared with us how shot this picture. In his book Capturing Motion: My Life in High-Speed Nature Photography, he shares short stories on this shot and so many more. Would you believe us if we said that this image was shot in 1973? And most importantly, it’s a single shot!

Continue reading…

5DayDeal: Save 96% on the Complete Photography Bundle 2020 ($89)

The 5DayDeal Complete Photography Bundle 2020 is the most comprehensive photography learning package you can get your hands on.

The 5DayDeal is back, and it’s bigger and better than ever. Do you want to learn from the most respected photographers in their respective fields? If so, the $89 Complete Photography Bundle 2020 from 5DayDeal is the bundle you’ll want to get! From October 15th to the 20th, you can save $2,875 on 25 courses from Joel Grimes, Nick Page, Serge Ramelli, Chris Orwig, Nicol S. Young, Matt Granger, Jessica Drossin, and more. Your purchase will also help out many charities too. 5DayDeal donates 10% of each sale to Make a Wish, Mercy Ships, Orbis, others. Find out more after the break.

Read more

You’ll Learn Something New From This Street Photography Masterclass

Thorsten Overgaard’s Street Photography Masterclass will give beginners the most to chew on.

“You have to find a balance of taking photos; not too many, not too few,” says Thorsten Overgaard in his street photography masterclass. And honestly, this course is evidence of that. If you’re all about reality, then Thorsten Overgaard shoves a ton of it into his Street Photography Masterclass. Available as part of the current 5 Day Deal, you’ll get this course along with a ton of others. You can skip around to various parts. And best of all, you’re bound to learn something no matter what. As a 12-year photo veteran, I even picked something up.

Continue reading…

Here Are the Advantages a Messenger Bag Has for Photographers

Most photographers swear by their messenger bags.

How does the saying go? You can pry it from my cold, dead hands, right? Well, that’s how some photographers feel about their messenger bags. Messenger bags have a unique appeal to those who want to be more fashionable or old school. They’re very functional and have lots of uses. The wider ones can act as a platform for doing other things. They also can hold all the gear you really need. We’ve reviewed a ton of them over the past decade. So in this infographic, you’ll learn what we’ve come to know.

Continue reading…

The Reasons You Need a Backpack as Your Next Camera Bag

Getting and choosing the right camera bag is crucial for so many reasons.

Of any standing photo publication, we’ve done the most reviews of camera bags. If you’re looking for one, you come to us. So today, we’re presenting an infographic on choosing the right camera bag. This is specifically for choosing a backpack. I used to love messengers bags, and still think they’re superior to camera bags in some cases. But overwhelmingly, backpacks are the better choice. If I had a week, I wouldn’t have enough time to explain why. But I’m going to try in this blog post.

Continue reading…

Exposure Preview: The Worst Thing for Your Camera’s Autofocus?

We talked to a couple of photographers and tech reps, and it seems like Exposure Preview could be hurting your camera’s autofocus.

Most people shooting with mirrorless cameras shoot with the Exposure Preview on. I’ve never been a fan of it, and I’ve always turned it off. In my mind, you should just learn to read the damn light meter to begin with, and not rely on what the screen says. One could think this is an old school way of thinking, but there are lots of performance benefits. If you’re shooting with a strobe, for example, there’s a great reason to turn exposure preview off. You’re usually shooting at a low ISO setting and faster shutter speeds. Plus, the camera won’t render what the scene will look like with your strobe output anyway. And for years, folks have used exposure preview as a crutch. That isn’t a bad thing, it’s just how people evolved to use cameras. I still recommend that everyone learns to shoot film and learns the art of Sunny 16: it will make you a better photographer. But all this is the long way of my saying that exposure preview is also messing with your autofocus.

Continue reading…

How Many of You Know the Blue Cellophane Rangefinder Trick?

Blue cellophane comes standard as a protective cover on your rangefinder’s viewfinder, but the blue cellophane rangefinder trick can also help you!

I’ve known about this trick for many years and thought everyone else did too. But the truth is most people do not, especially those new to photography. If you shoot with a Leica, Voigtlander, Canon, Zeiss, Zorki, Yashica, or Olympus rangefinder, then you’re in luck! Besides doing a CLA (Clean Lube Adjustment), there are better ways to make your rangefinder more visible. Older rangefinders didn’t have bright patches, or the ones they had deteriorated over time. To make them appear even brighter, there is a little trick involving blue cellophane and the viewfinder, not the rangefinder. Let’s dive into the blue cellophane rangefinder trick!

Continue reading…

Getting the Best Results When Shooting with Natural Light at Home

Most of us are homebound at the moment due to the pandemic, but you can still create great images at home using these natural light photography tips.

One of the tenets behind being a photographer is the mastery of light. Cameras and lenses aside, light is the most important element in image-making. Many professionals prefer to shoot with artificial lighting thanks to how it helps to deliver consistent and repeatable results. However, artificial lighting can be intimating. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new challenges as well. Even for photographers comfortable shooting with artificial light, not all of them own artificial lighting or have access to it while sheltering in place. The good news is that natural light is still available (provided that the weather cooperates). And as long as there’s light, we as photographers can create. Right now, the simple act of creating can be an important therapeutic exercise for many. Check out these natural light photography tips to help you create great images even when you’re stuck at home.

Continue reading…

Why You Should Adore the Awesome 50mm Lens for Photography

As the Reviews Editor for The Phoblographer, I’m often solicited for lens recommendations from beginner photographers. Time and time again, I find myself recommending the 50mm. 50mm lenses make for great additions to every photographer’s arsenal. This is especially true for those just starting and wanting to graduate beyond their kit lenses. It’s a versatile focal length that bridges the gap between wide-angle and telephoto. 50mm lenses, particularly f1.8 versions, are very affordable as well. So versatile, in fact, that many photographers colloquially refer to their budget 50mm lens as a “Nifty Fifty.” On the fence about picking up a Nifty Fifty of your own? Head past the jump to see all you can achieve with the 50mm focal length.

Continue reading…

Buying a Medium Format Camera? This Is What You’re Diving Into

Those getting a Medium format camera will want to know precisely what they’re dealing with.

Photographers, as we know, are very used to what full-frame cameras can do. But they’re not so used to medium format because it’s not as common. A medium format camera is fundamentally a whole different ball game. For starters, you’re going up in pricing and quality. And a photographer will expect the absolute ultimate performance, but they also probably don’t know how to make the most of it. Medium format cameras traditionally were only used for weddings, documentary journalism, landscapes, and portraiture. In some ways today, that’s still the case, but it’s evolved.

Continue reading…

The Phoblographer’s Guide to Rembrandt Lighting

Named after the 17th-century Dutch master painter, Rembrandt lighting is a popular portrait lighting technique that can create very pleasing results.

When it comes to portrait lighting techniques, there are a ton of variations to choose from. For many portrait photographers, Rembrandt lighting is among one of the most popular. The technique is named after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, the prodigious 17th-century Dutch master painter whose portraiture subjects frequently showcased this telltale lighting pattern. In our latest original infographic, we will be exploring what Rembrandt lightning is and how you can utilize it in your next portrait shoot.

Continue reading…

Why Flash Duration Is the Photographer’s Secret Weapon!

Things changed so much for me when I learned about flash duration!

If there’s one thing that I adore about flash photography, it’s flash duration. This is a secret weapon so many new photographers don’t know about. But once you understand it and tame it, you’ll see how much better your photos will be. It’s is the subtle difference between that extra pop and a flat image! The 3D look that it can deliver is surreal. You’ll be able to see and experience it even when not looking at 100%.

Continue reading…

The Truth About Constant Light vs Flash for Photographers

Which side are you on with Constant Light vs Flash?

If you are struggling to use more than just natural light, we’ve got just the thing. Many people these days reach for constant light. Tons of YouTube videos show you how to use it. But proper photography needs more than that. Does this mean you can’t shoot great photos with Constant light? You totally can! I don’t know about you, but I can’t name any lifelong photographers who’ve only used constant lighting. I’ve even seen the great Peter Hurley use strobes. But I can name a ton who’ve used flash! And in this cheat sheet, we’ll break constant light vs flash down further for you.

Continue reading…

TTL vs Manual Flash: What Photographers Need to Know

Many folks don’t know the difference between TTL vs manual flash, or how it will change the way they create.

Most photographers realize that flash output is still better than constant lighting. But the biggest struggle is with TTL vs. manual flash output. Most people don’t understand it. And to be honest, most experienced photographers are also frustrated with it. But in time, you learn to tell it what to do. Think about it this way. You use your camera in manual mode, right? And if you don’t, then you at least know how to do so. The strobe and flash output that you can get is similar.

Continue reading…

How to Get Sharper Images with Manual Focus Lenses

Getting sharper images from manual focus lenses is incredibly rewarding.

“Patience is a virtue,” is a quote that I’m convinced was first said by someone who used manual focus lenses. I’m kidding, but the proverb rings true for photographers. Many of us are impatient. And if you enjoy your photography hobby, you should relish the time. If you’re a professional photographer, then you most likely know how to make the most of manual focus lenses. Most importantly, the passionate photographers among us genuinely care about the artistic methods involved in shooting photos. Everything else around us is so automated and electronic. Sometimes, it’s nice to go back to the analog ways and do things ourselves. That’s why creating photos with manual focus lenses can be so rewarding.

Continue reading…

Why Live Composite is One of the Best Things to Happen To Cameras

The Live Composite feature is so incredibly fun to play with.

Unless you’re shooting with Olympus and Panasonic, you’ve probably never heard of Live Composite. In our constant search to move away from editing, this is a feature we adore. It means that a photographer needs to think about something beforehand. They need to be very careful. And best of all, they need to not rely on Photoshop. When someone says, “Photoshop it later,” a part of me dies inside. It’s awful. But with Live Composite, a photographer can stay out in the field creating. If you’re a hobbyist or a professional who really just wants to shoot, we encourage you to try it.

Continue reading…

Stopping Your Lens Down: What Photographers Always Forget About

Many photographers never stop their lenses down, but they should.

“LOOK AT THE BOKEH!!!!” Does that sound like you when you were starting out? Well, unfortunately, many photographers never leave that phase. With so many new people getting into photography, we find it essential to do our part. Just remember that your lens often has more than one aperture. You can even stop it down in half stops and 1/3 stops. In general, it’s great to leave it wide open when shooting in low light. But turn off that electronic shutter setting and learn to focus on the exposure of the scene. More than that, use the storytelling elements a lens affords you.

Continue reading…

The Three Color Portrait Method Will Drastically Improve Your Photos

The three-color portrait method has been used by so many professional photographers.

We’re big fans of keeping it simple when you can. This is critical for portrait photography. The objective is to put the emphasis on a single person. So you need to find a way to make them stand out. Naturally, the human eye goes to them. You can also use the depth of field and bokeh to single them out. Then there’s also composition rules. But what about composing by color? There are lots of ways to do this. And with portrait photography, it can be a game-changer. The truth is that not every excellent piece of wardrobe works with every scene, so keeping it simple is the best approach. Focusing on using it, three colors can do a lot for your portrait photography. Let’s take a closer look!

Continue reading…

Every Aspiring Photojournalist Needs This Cheat Sheet for Better Stories

A photojournalist who wants to grow should check out the shot list that your story needs.

You’re a documentary photographer, or a photojournalist, or someone looking to tell a story. This doesn’t include street photography (that’s not photojournalism). But you want to create a narrative in a photo story. Think about the who, what, when, where, how, and why of the story. You need to answer questions. And most importantly, you need to rely on a tried and true method that’s been in use for decades. It’s time for you, the photojournalist, to think like a film-maker.

Continue reading…