Fundamentals
The Purpose of Camera Lens Hoods and Why You Should Use Yours
If you just bought your first camera kit, you may be wondering what the plastic thing is that came with your lens. Maybe you’ve been doing photography for a while…
What is a 35mm Lens Good For?
35mm is my personal favorite focal length for photography. It’s wide but not overly so—in many scenarios it’s just wide enough. It also has an uncanny ability to make intimate…
What White Balance to Use for Night Photography
First of all, there are many different settings you’ll want to be familiar with before going out to shoot the stars. You can certainly check out my article on “Nightscape…
Should You Go Full Frame?
There’s a lot to like about cameras with full frame sensors: they have excellent image quality, work well in low light situations and are capable of producing shallower a depth…
What Are DSLR Cameras Good For?
At one point, DSLR cameras had all the advantages in their favor. But as of this writing in November 2017, the advantages that DSLRs once had over mirrorless cameras has…
What is the “Bokeh” Effect in Photography?
Out of all the photography concepts, “bokeh” is one of the most talked about and controversial. It’s one of those things in photography that excites both new and experienced photographers…
The Blurred Background Effect in Photography
If you’ve paid close attention to pictures before, you’ve probably noticed that some have a lot in focus whereas others it’s the opposite, resulting in a blurred background effect. This…
What is a Candid Picture?
If you’re new to photography, you may be asking yourself, “what is a candid picture?” Many of us have known inherently what a candid picture is for most of our…
Depth of Field Camera Settings
Choosing a depth of field and a corresponding aperture may not be so apparent when first starting out in photography but ultimately it’s fairly straightforward. This article is broken up…
3 Quick Tips for Indoor Photography
If you’re having trouble getting the lighting right or are having issues getting proper exposures when photographing indoors, these tips for indoor photography should set you on the right track.…
What Does ‘Shallow Depth of Field’ Mean?
If you’re getting started in photography you might have heard the terms ‘depth of field’ or ‘shallow depth of field’ thrown around. Read more
3 Easy Bounce Flash Techniques to Improve Your Flash Photography
If bouncing light in photography is a foreign concept to you, it may seem complicated at first. But bounce flash techniques are actually extremely simple and can significantly improve the…
5 Indoor Photography Tips Without Flash
Doing photography indoors without a flash can be tricky. You may not have a flash handy or just want a natural light look. However, shooting without a flash indoors presents…
2 Simple Steps to Blur the Background of a Picture Using Just Your Camera
I think it’s safe to say that pictures with blurred backgrounds can be extremely impressive and inspiring. I know that a lot of photographers just starting out assume that it’s…
3 Reasons Why Your Pictures are Blurry
It can be annoying to have your pictures turn out blurry and not know the reason why. The good news is that there are only a few reasons why photos…
DSLR Vs. Mirrorless in Photography: Which Should you Choose?
The DSLR vs mirrorless debate has been going on for several years now in the digital photography industry. While in the past the choice between the two was obvious for…
A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Depth of Field
Understanding depth of field is an important part of being able to control the outcome of your images in photography. The look of any given image will be strongly influenced…
A Guide to Understanding Shutter Priority Mode
Shutter priority mode is a semi-automatic camera mode in which the photographer chooses one component of the exposure triangle (shutter speed), the camera takes a meter reading when pointed at…
A Guide to Understanding Aperture Priority Mode
Getting your exposure right while also achieving the depth of field you’re looking for can be tricky at times, especially if you’ve got to get some exposures off quick or…
P Mode in Photography: When and How to Use it
Just got your first camera and wondering what that ‘P’ on your mode dial is? Understanding program mode is one of the first steps in the natural evolution of getting…