Modern digital cameras are capable of transforming almost any scene from ordinary to extraordinary. With the right tools and the right knowledge, you can actually create an image that is even more impressive than the scene you saw with your naked eye. Your camera’s settings are designed to help you achieve this, as are software [...]

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If you’ve studied and practised photography for long enough, you know that a great photo is one that gives the viewer a unique perspective on the world. That can be done in many different ways–by choosing a unique subject, by taking the photo from an unusual vantage point, by carefully selecting depth of field or [...]

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Nothing inspires that inner photographer quite like the ocean. The crashing surf, those sailboats on the horizon, seabirds cruising just above the water – it would be a crime not to overshoot such a scene. So how come the photos you take home from the beach sometimes just don’t manage to capture the drama and [...]

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When you think about your favorite landscape photos, the images that come to mind are probably classic shots of forests, mountains and natural rock formations. And they are probably daytime images, too, with an occasional sunset and sunrise thrown in for good measure. We don’t really see a lot of landscape images shot at night, [...]

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Natural frames are everywhere, and not just in natural places. In photography, a natural frame is anything that forms a border or part of a border around your subject. It can be literally natural, such as a tree branch, the mouth of a cave or a rock arch; or it can be man-made, such as [...]

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Quick, think back on all the photos you’ve seen in your life. What, you can’t remember them all? You can’t even remember most of them? So which ones do you remember? Chances are, there are a few that immediately come to mind. How about Raising the flag on Iwo Jima, by Joe Rosenthal? Or Afghan [...]

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Scenic photos are a part of almost every photographer’s repertoire. After all, almost no one with a camera can resist snapping a photo of crashing surf, sweeping fields of wildflowers or a towering, snow-covered mountain. Landscape photos seem like they should be easy, yet the final images are often disappointing. How many times have you [...]

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If you live in an area that has two or four seasons, then you know what it’s like to feel the doldrums of between-season photography. Right now in many parts of the world, trees are bare, the color gone, and it’s too soon for the punch of snowscapes to compensate. If you’re outdoors, everything through [...]

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No matter what the season mountains are, by virtue of their beauty, incredibly photogenic. Throw in a myriad of trees and a lake, and you’ve got picture perfect landscapes! However, photographing mountains can be tricky depending on the season and the effect you’re going for. The polarizer filter is the one filter in particular that [...]

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You don’t have to be a professional photographer to understand that manual mode ultimately gives you the most control over your images. But let’s face it, not everyone has the great luxury of being able to pay attention to a camera’s settings. The light changes, subjects move, scenes vary—or maybe you’d rather just enjoy a [...]

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How many times have you run into the following situation? You’ve flown across the world to visit some beautiful location, but once you get there, it’s packed full of tourists. You try to wait for the perfect opportunity to take a person-free photo, but it just doesn’t happen. Isn’t that always the way it is [...]

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There’s no getting around it. Landscape photography is hard. Not only do you have to get out there at the right time of day, you’ve also got to make sure the sky is doing something interesting too. Oftentimes, we get one but not the other. So if you’ve ever wondered how to replace a dull [...]

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As someone who has seen many of photography’s trends come and go, I’m still surprised with how many beginning photographers are worried about little things that ultimately amount to nothing. One of those little ideas is the hyperfocal distance. It’s put forward as some sort of golden mean, a perfect place to focus to get [...]

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There are a number of filters on the market today. You’ve probably heard of polarizers, warming filters, and cooling filters, but what about neutral density filters? The language sounds overly complicated, but rest assured it’s not. If you’ve ever wondered what one these filters does, and how you might use it in your own photography, [...]

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This year is looking to be a rather magnetically active year for this little planet. All kinds of solar storms are headed are way, but don’t you worry. They won’t do any damage to civilization or life as we know it. They will, however, make for some rather amazing photo ops. When a really big [...]

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