You’re missing out on some great opportunities if, like other photographers, you always avoid shooting in harsh middy sun. There’s no doubt that Blue Hour and Golden Hour can both be described as “prime time,” but hard light offers bold shadows and strong highlights that deliver dramatic imagery if you understand what to do. Instructor Gil Kreslavsky is a well-respected shooter and educator who’s not shy about sharing his photography experiences, good or bad, and he begins today’s episode with an honest admission: “I used to be terrified by hard light. I could take good photos during Golden Hour or on an overcast day, but going out  in high sun,…

The term HDR stands for “high dynamic range” and describes a powerful method for capturing details in the lightest and darkest elements in a scene while maintaining accurate midtones. Some cameras (even compacts) offer a built-in function that captures multiple images of the same scene at slightly different exposures and automatically combines them into one balanced shot. Today’s tutorial from the PHLEARN YouTube channel takes a different approach by demonstrating a Lightroom technique that delivers more flexibility and control so you can achieve the exact look you’re after with precision. All it takes is a better understanding of exposure control in Lightroom. This how-to video is installment #11 of a…

We all know that Blue Hour is one of the best times to shoot attention-grabbing images in the field. The challenge, however, is that sometimes our results fail to capture the magic and whimsy that we saw through the viewfinder as the sun dipped below the horizon. The solution is careful, thoughtful editing that accentuates the peaceful mood of twilight when the scene is bathed in soft blue light. Today’s tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel demonstrates a straightforward Lightroom workflow that anyone can master in the next 12 minutes. Instructor Christian Mohrle is a notable German landscape photographer and image-editing expert based in the southern region of the…

Thoughtful posing is a critical element in boudoir photography because our goal is to accentuate a subject’s most attractive features. The challenge is that many of us don’t have access to professional models and must rely upon inexperienced friends or loved ones instead. It’s for this reason that is our job to provide the subject with encouragement, a bit of gentle direction, and a few sensuous poses that aren’t too difficult for inexperienced models. Today’s six-minute tutorial with long-time pro Yuliya Panchenko demonstrates “my top five boudoir poses that every single client absolutely loves.” Yuliya is an Orlando-based photographer whose YouTube channel has almost 200K subscribers who appreciate her how-to videos…

WANDRD sent us a pair of Rogue Slings, a yellow mid-size and a green one that’s a little larger, to review. We’re happy to say they have some features that make them unique. We road tested the WANDRD Rogue Sling 6L and Rogue Sling 9L. The bags are nearly identical except for capacity. Initially we were attracted to WANDRD bags because of their attractive assortment of colors. Black and natural canvas-beige bags are okay, but muted yellows and greens, etc., are undeniably refreshing. And we’d seen them on Amazon and at B&H, and they appeared to be a tad divergent from the mainstream in other ways besides the multiple color…

Do you understand the interplay between the focal length of a lens and angle of view? It’s an important relationship to understand, and this video from a German pro will bring you up to speed in the next seven minutes. Rainer Hoffmann is an excellent photographer who specializes in travel and landscape imagery that has appeared in numerous publications, books, calendars and the like. He’s also a very experienced educator—conducting workshops, in-person classes, and numerous online courses for over 20 years. He introduces today’s explainer like this: “The focal length of a lens is an important parameter, however it tells us nothing about what we’re really interested in when we…

You’re in for a surprise if the important concept of “diffraction” is unfamiliar because this optical phenomenon, or spreading of light waves, has likely degraded some of the photos you captured in the past. The problem typically occurs when shooting with small apertures and image softening is the result—especially in areas of high-contrast. The good news is that this unsightly problem will be a thing of the past after watching the video below from the My Photo Journey YouTube channel. Instructor Dawley Lad is an accomplished British outdoor photographer whose behind-the-scenes tutorials are always revealing and perhaps what you’d call transformational. In today’s episode you’ll follow Lad strolling through Lincoln’s historic…

Adobe recently gave Lightroom Mobile a significant update with powerful features for processing portrait photographs on your phone. A couple of these enhancements can also be used to improve other types of images as well. According to instructor Terry Lee White, “these updates are game-changers and I’m excited to walk you through the latest features.” Unlike Adobe’s new Photoshop for iPhone, the new Lightroom Mobile tricks are now available for both iOS and Android users. White explains everything you need to know in barely five minutes, including individual retouching for multiple people in a photo, Smarter Quick Actions with zoomed-in facial editing, and collaborative photo albums with “Anyone-Can-Add” sharing. This Lightroom…

Have you wondered why some of your photographs are crisp, clean, and full of detail, while others are grainy, dull, and unimpressive? The following tutorial with instructor Anthony Crothers takes an educated guess that “it’s not your camera—it’s your ISO.” And this can be super simple to fix once you understand this essential concept. British pro Crothers has 25 years of experience with a commitment to help beginner and immediate photographers boost confidence and improve their skills. Here’s his promise for today’s eye-opening episode: “I’ll show you exactly how ISO works, when to raise or lower it, and how to avoid the most common ISO mistakes that ruin photos.” And…