(more…)

ou’ve probably heard or read this a gazillion times by other photographers so I thought that I would be the gazilionth and one to tell you that creating a great photo is all about lighting. Light is what sculpts your scene. You can have the best composed shot but if your lighting is crap, good chances that your shot will be also. And sometimes to get good light, you’ll need to work with artificial light sources. One of the most popular light source used by photographers are strobes; also called flashes.

So I figured that I would give you my insights on small strobes (also known as flash guns or speedlights) in this multi part saga here on DIYPhotography.net. So let’s get right to it, shall we.
(more…)

(more…)

Whether you are expecting your first child or your fifth, your pregnancy is a special time in your life. As such, you will want to capture these remarkable months with photos that you can cherish forever. By keeping a few key thoughts in mind while taking maternity photographs, you will be certain to have some amazing photos to share with your child when he or she grows older.

(more…)

Earlier in the week I posted that Nikon have released their new Nikon D90 DSLR, a camera which they are proudly publicizing is the first DSLR to shoot with HD Video.

In the comments on that post the main theme being discussed is whether video belongs on a DSLR.

We’ve long seen video on point and shoot cameras (and I see a lot of people shooting video that way when I’m out and about) but does video belong on a DSLR?

(more…)

Nikon have just announced their newest DSLR - the Nikon D90.

The Nikon D90 builds on the success of previous Nikon DSLRs and breaks a little ground of its own as the first DSLR to incorporate shooting HD movie clips.

Using Auto Exposure and Auto Focus that is featured in Nikon’s pro model DSLRs the Nikon D90 has a 12.3 megapixel sensor, ISO range of between 100 to 6400, 3 inch LCD screen (920,000 pixels with 170 degree viewing), Live View mode (for framing shots with the LCD) and a lot of other great features.

The Nikon D90 shoots movies (a first for DSLRs) at 24 frames per second and at a resolution of 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 640×424 (3:2), and 320×216 (3:2).

(more…)

In the last twenty years, video and film have become the predominant forms of modern storytelling. But before video, there was photography. And for the last one hundred years photography and storytelling went hand in hand.

Now more than ever, the power of storytelling ought to be harnessed. But telling a story with photos takes more than just a skillful photographer. An impacting photo story can only be developed by skillful photographers who understand the emotions and concepts behind ever-great story.

The form of such a story is called the photo essay.
(more…)

In this post Gary Cosby Jr. shares some great tips on shooting with available light.

Shooting available light can be both liberating and enslaving.

Sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it? In fact, shooting available light frees you from all the encumbrances of dragging strobe equipment around with its stands, modifiers, strobes and possibly even power packs. On the other hand, shooting available light chains you to whatever the light is willing to do at a given time of day. So you see now how it can free you or chain you up. There are a few tips and techniques you can use to tame available light and bend it to your will in many circumstances. Best of all, you don’t have to purchase a thing to use this technique.

(more…)

In this article Christina Nichole sheds some light on the Kelvin Scale.

Have you ever gone into a shooting scenario and struggled to match your white balance to the available light? Have you ever wondered how to intensify the color of a sunset without digital enhancement, or create a mood with the color of your available light?

(more…)

Have you ever wanted to experiment with macro photography but didn’t have the budget to buy a dedicated macro lens?

In this video Jim from ProPhotolife shows us a trick using two lenses that you might already have to achieve 1:1 magnification.

As he mentions in the video - if you like this technique you can purchase a reversing ring that will allow you to do it without needing to manually hold the lenses together with your spare hand.