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Modern smartphones might give you several camera choices: 0.5×, 1×, 2×, 3×, 5× and sometimes even more. It can be tempting to think of these simply as different zoom levels. But there’s something important happening behind those little numbers: You’re often switching between completely different cameras. And in many situations, 1× is the camera that […]
When photographers think about fall, the first thing that usually comes to mind is colorful foliage. Bright reds. Deep oranges. Golden leaves covering the landscape. But some of the best fall photography actually happens before peak color arrives. The transition into autumn changes much more than the trees. Light, weather, wildlife, and even familiar landscapes […]
Before summer officially comes to an end, here’s a quick photography challenge you can try today. I call it the End-of-Summer Sharpness Test. Find a stationary subject with plenty of fine detail—a tree, building, sign, fence, or anything else that will make sharpness easy to judge. Now photograph it handheld using the same focal length […]
Many photographers assume they need an incredible portfolio, expensive equipment, and years of experience before anyone will pay them. But plenty of clients aren’t looking for the best photographer in town. They’re looking for someone dependable who can solve a specific problem. Here are some of the easiest places to start. 1. Real Estate Photography […]
When I’m photographing close to home, getting the exposure slightly wrong isn’t always a disaster. I can often return another day. Travel photography is different. You may have one sunset, one afternoon, or even one minute to capture a scene you’ll never see under the same conditions again. That’s why I often bracket exposures while […]
You get home from a great trip, unload your memory cards, and start scrolling through hundreds—or maybe thousands—of photos. You captured the famous landmark, the sweeping landscape, the hotel, the beach, the skyline and all the places you planned to photograph. But as you look through everything, something feels strangely missing. You photographed the places […]
When a photo feels too dark, the obvious solution is to increase the Exposure slider. But here’s something worth knowing: Making a photo brighter and making it look brighter aren’t necessarily the same thing. In fact, simply increasing exposure can sometimes make an image look washed out without actually improving it. What the Exposure Slider […]
If you’re willing to get up before sunrise this week, you may be able to photograph one of the night sky’s more unusual sights. It’s called zodiacal light—sometimes nicknamed the “false dawn.” Unlike the Milky Way, aurora, or a meteor shower, zodiacal light isn’t something happening far out in space. It’s sunlight reflecting from countless […]
Photographers spend a lot of time trying to eliminate camera shake and motion blur. For this exercise, you’re going to do the opposite. Set your shutter speed to around 1/10 of a second, leave the tripod at home, and photograph an entire session handheld. The goal isn’t to make everything sharp. It’s to discover what […]
If you’ve spent any time planning Milky Way photography, you’ve probably heard the same advice: Shoot during a New Moon. It’s good advice—but it’s also a little oversimplified. A New Moon creates wonderfully dark skies, but you don’t necessarily need to wait for the exact night of the New Moon to photograph the Milky Way. […]
