I just finished a lighting class with the Mentor Series in Chicago, and a common question came up. What is the difference between an umbrella and a soft box? Here is a quick list of pros and cons. Umbrella: -lightweight, easy to set up -inexpensive -produces nice soft light -can’t control light spill easily -light Read More
Shooting Tips
Focus Limit Switch
I just got in this morning from a great trip to Alaska with ANPW. We were on a roll with wildlife shooting; bears, whales, puffins and even a wolf. Some of the most memorable moments were photographing puffins in flight. Any bird flight photography is challenging, and puffins are even more erratic than other Read More
Color Theory; Warm advances, cool recedes
I teach composition on numerous workshops I teach, and one important part of this class is color theory. Seriously, I could spend all day talking about color and nothing else in composition. Color, or black and white, are incredibly powerful tools in design and art. Colors affect our emotion, mood and reaction to an image. Read More
When and how to use a monopod.
I just returned from shooting in Mexico, and much of my time was spent aboard a boat. Since I knew I would be photographing wildlife like dolphins, whales and birds, I brought along my 500mm F4. This lens is incredibly sharp, and I love how the background blurs at F4 with wildlife photos. But all Read More
Creating silky water effects with multiple exposure
I returned from a fantastic trip to Norway with the Mentor Series. We explored the Lofoten Islands, a dramatic fjord landscape along the north coast of Norway. Our main goal was to capture the dramatic, moody landscape of this remote area. Weather changes by the minute there, creating dramatic lighting and cloud formations. We even Read More
Angle of view
One question that recently came up on a trip to Cuba was how to deal with busy street scenes. Or, in other terms, how to clean up the shot. One simple answer to this question is change your angle of view. But what does that really mean? Imagine this scenario. You want to photograph part Read More
When to use Auto ISO
I know I have said this before, but new camera technology continues to give photographers more tools than ever to ‘getting the shot.’ I shot film bodies for years, and honestly, not much changed. Frame rates got better, metering slowly improved and films evolved. I mean it was a big deal when Fuji introduced Velvia Read More
Live view composition
Here is a quick travel photography tip: you don’t have to look through the viewfinder to take a picture. How many times have you walked through a market browsing the goods and taken a few snapshots. And that is what they are, snapshots (I’m done it many times!). Instead, look at the objects on the Read More
Everyone is a photographer with camera in hand.
Recently Scott Kelby came to Denver to do a full day talk, “Shoot Like a Pro, Reloaded”. Naturally I decided to go visit and heckle Scott from the back row. I do training videos for KelbyOne, and have had some fun times shooting with Scott. Sitting in the audience it was a pleasure to see Read More
speedlight diffusion dome
Most speedlights come with a diffusion dome. This small white translucent dome snaps onto your speedlight and diffuses/softens the light. Or does it? Here is a quick guide when to use the dome, and what it really does. A fundamental lighting principle states that the soft quality light on your subject is directly related to Read More