Awhile back I talked about how to create silky water effects using multiple exposure. This is very handy when you forget your ND filter. The basic technique involves shooting from a tripod, using a three frame multiple exposure, and photographing a moving subject. For example, if you photograph a stream, then the banks will be Read More
Shooting Tips
Fall color shooting tips
My friends in Alaska tell me that fall is in full swing up north, hard to believe sitting on the front range of Colorado in the heat. But I did just drive through the Black Hills, and noticed some shades of yellow in the trees. Fall will soon be showing its colors across the country. Read More
Black and White Conversion
I often get questions on workshops about converting color images to black and white. There are numerous ways to do this, and lots of great software to help. I regularly shoot and write stories for Digital Photo Pro and Digital Photo magazines, and recently Digital Photo Pro asked me to do a piece on converting Read More
Umbrellas versus softboxes
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
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