My images are always blurry! what am I doing wrong?

Cameras, especially DSLRs can be confusing when you are just getting started in photography. Many tell me that an iPhone can snap a decent image regardless of where you take it, why can’t an expensive DSLR do the same? Think about cameras like a musical instrument, and a camera phone like a radio, both will play music – one you […]

My experience with iDrive cloud backup service

Regular readers of my blog know that I don’t use my audience to go after companies online, I will on occasion however voice my opinion with a company whether positive or negative. The story of my experience with iDrive cloud backup service recently deserves to be told, especially considering this company is currently conducting a large marketing push on nationally […]

The best camera settings for any shooting scenario explained.

Are you new to photography? Are you looking for the best camera settings to capture a concert, or family gathering? Are you terrified of manual mode but know that mastering manual mode is the only way to be seen as a professional photographer? Let’s talk about it… This topic is perhaps one of the most controversial in photography right now. […]

Are you copyrighted by putting a (C) watermark on your photo?

Disclaimer: First, let me make it absolutely clear that I am not a lawyer, and you should not consider this article as legal advice. These are the common-sense guidelines I personally follow for my work as a photographer when sharing on social media. I have been sharing my photographic work on social media for over a decade, and I have […]

What is wrong with shooting on train tracks?

As a photography educator, I am often asked to review and comment on the portfolios of aspiring photographers. I have noticed a concerning trend emerging in recent years – train track photography. Hundreds of people are killed each year in train track related incidents, and it has become all too common for photographers both pro and amateur to offer train […]

Profoto vs Godox Light Modifier showdown

There are more videos and articles comparing battery powered flashes than you can shake a stick at. Anyone researching a portable lighting setup will undoubtedly look at the strobe offerings from Profoto (B10, B1X) and Godox (AD200, AD600PRO etc.) but once you have that shiny new strobe unit, you are going to need to pony up for some light modifiers. […]

Finding constructive criticism for your work

As a photographer, do you often look at your work and think it isn’t good enough to show? Do you look at your work and compare it to the images you see in National Geographic or on 500px and think “my work will never be that good”? Being your own worst critic to the point where you don’t feel like […]

Happy New Year!

2019 is here and it’s a time for me to reflect on some of the events of 2018. Before I go any further though, I want to take a moment to say how much I appreciate everyone in my life. I may not say it often, but I the time I spend with my friends and family mean more to […]

Easy Film noir style images

This week we explore how objects between and around your flash affect your images. You may have heard of terms like cookie, flag and gobo when referring to lighting, what the heck are these things and will using them benefit your images? Lets talk about it… Cookies Cookies are an object which is placed in front of your light source […]

Christmas light portraits

By numerous reader request, in this week’s Troubleshooting your photography we discuss portraits with Christmas lights. Controlling your ambient light and flash exposure to get Christmas lights that pop while keeping a proper exposure on your subject can be confusing. Let’s talk about it… Using a strobe, whether on-camera or off to light your subject is a straightforward process, but […]

Getting shadows under control n your portraits.

Today I continue my weekly series helping you to Troubleshoot your Photography. This series is geared towards beginning and intermediate photographers, but old grizzled photographers (yours truly included) may also find useful tidbits in these musings. Are you new to photography and finding that people on social media are not liking your images as much as you expected them to? […]

Wait…do you calibrate?

Have you ever sent off your photos to the local pharmacy or the big box store, only to get back a box full of prints that are way too dark? Do you wonder why your prints do not match what you see on your computer monitor? Did you get an awesome new photo printer for a gift, and all your […]

Troubleshooting your photography – Portrait focus

Today I start a new weekly series called Troubleshooting your Photography. This series is geared towards beginning and intermediate photographers, but old grizzled photographers (yours truly included) may also find useful tidbits in these musings. Watch for new articles each Tuesday. Are you new to photography and finding that people on social media are not liking your images as much […]

Do I have to pay for a model’s time?

I formally started my Landscapes of the Body project seven years ago. At that time, I had years of experience shooting people places and things under my belt, and had a decent portfolio of well-exposed and composed images.I also had a vision (albeit cloudy) of what I wanted my project to be. I knew I wanted abstract images of the […]

Building a body of work

When I first began my interest in photography, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to shoot, so I created images of flowers, the ocean, people and any number of things I found interesting. It wasn’t until I took some formal photo training that I was given assignments to shoot a specific subject for a time. One assignment I remember was […]

If I watermark it, is it copyrighted?

Most beginning and intermediate photographers (and some professionals as well) believe that placing a garish watermark on a photo before you share it online will effectively copyright that image and prevent unauthorized use. This could not be farther from the truth, in fact, it is incredibly simple to remove a watermark as illustrated by this article from The Verge, which […]

Which camera is really the best?

There are certain questions that will incite a holy war during a conversation, these include which videogame console is the best?, which truck is better, Ford or Chevy?, which actor played the best Doctor Who?, and what is the best camera? Today, we will answer the most burning of these questions and the answer is David Tennant. Seriously though… David […]

Do I need to study photography to be a good photographer?

One of the more divisive questions on any internet forum focused on photography is whether you need to study photography or get a formal education to be a good photographer. The answers you will see vary widely based heavily on the level of education of the photographer answering the question. Those who have a formal education (full disclosure – I […]

Getting into strobe photography on the cheap

It is #TuesdayTips time again, and this week we are going to talk about a subject I get asked a lot – what do I need to buy to get into strobe photography? I will talk about my current gear, my past gear and most importantly what I have learned buying stuff that I thought I needed but didn’t. Full […]