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We are always looking for interesting and inspiring tings to share. If you have a tip or a new bit, please share it with us in this link.

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The importance of leading lines in photography

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Leading lines in photography are existing lines within the frame of a photograph which the photographer has deliberately aligned/arranged (prior to taking the photo) by adjusting their composition either shifting their body or camera. It should result in lines which “lead” to the subject, increasing the focus of the viewer, allowing for a more enjoyable viewing experience.

It is often paired with the rule of thirds although not necessarily.

Since I started photographing London (back around 2008), I have made a conscious effort to practice and master this as it greatly improves photographs, their impact, and the ease with which a viewer will appreciate your work, a certain user experience I guess.

I include some examples of my London photography so you can see for yourself the importance of leading lines in photography.

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Another fast fifty? – The TTartisan 50mm f/1.2 review

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2020 finally seems to be coming to an end! And let’s be honest here – This hasn’t exactly been the coolest year in recent history. But right before we close shop and welcome, a hopefully improved, 2021, a Chinese lens manufacturer apparently decided that we needed something cool to play with for our APSC cameras!

On December 18th, TTartisan announced the immediate availability of their new offering, the 50mm f/1.2. I was fortunate enough to try out the lens for about 3 weeks prior to release, and I thought I wanted to share my experiences with you here. But do we really need yet another fifty? Well, this lens does bring a couple of nice things to the table, including a ridiculously low price point at just 98$USD, so let’s have a closer look at it.

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27 essential wedding photography tips all wedding photographers should know

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You’re about to get at least two pro tips not found anywhere else online. Nobody is talking about these, and it’s essential to know these tips now vs. after your first wedding. I can’t wait to share these tips with you because they’re going to blow your mind!

Hello, my name is Chris Parker, and I spent fifteen years shooting over 500 weddings. Today I want to share with you 27 essential wedding photography tips all wedding photographers should know.

I wish I knew these pro wedding photography tips when I started my wedding photography business. If I did, I would have been able to grow my business faster. Oh, and I would have been able to create better images… that would have led to more bookings.

If you’re ready to learn these essential 27 wedding photography tips, let’s get started. Oh, and I should note that there are actually more than 27 tips… there’s an additional 8 pro tips (within the basic tips) and a bonus tip that you shouldn’t skip!

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Pros and cons of teleconverters for macro photography

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What are teleconverters and how do they work?

Tele-converters are handy lens add-ons that multiply the focal length of the lens they are attached to. They can be mounted in between the camera body and lens (typically a telephoto lens) and increase the focal length of the lens which they are attached to.

By how much is dependent on their power, which is stated as a factor. E.g. a 1.4x teleconverter multiplies the original focal length of a lens by 1.4. As a result a 100mm lens would turn into a 140mm lens, a 200mm lens would turn into a 280mm lens, and so on. Most common are 1.4x or 2x converters, but occasionally converters as strong as 3x can be found as well.

Why am I telling you this in a macro blog? Well, the beauty of these converters is that their power not only applies to the focal length of regular lenses, but to the magnification ratio of macro lenses just as well!

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I built a fully manual Polaroid studio camera

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It turns out that shooting Polaroids in the studio isn’t impossible — it just takes a little bit of engineering and ingenuity. Here’s how I turned a $200 toy into a studio camera.

I’ve done a lot of portraiture in my time (ahem), and I’ve never shied away from building my own photography equipment. I’m also intrigued by the tactile nature of instant photography. There’s something about the ability to immediately destroy a negative that makes portraiture a lot more fun. And with Polaroids, you can give your models the photos before they’ve even developed. Nobody has to see the photo except them — and then they can share it from there… If they wish.

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I turned a 610mm World War II spy lens into a 10ft long large format macro camera

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You didn’t ask to learn about bellows extension factors but we’re going to cover it with the most absurd camera that you may ever see!

Built from over two sheets of plywood, scraps of 2x6s, old drywall screws, and the cheapest 610mm lens that I could find on eBay, literally every expense was spared. I would be surprised if I spent more than $200 out of pocket to create this 10′ behemoth.

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Everything you need to know about Apple’s new ProRAW feature

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ProRAW

Apple ProRAW is Apple’s latest technological addition to the smartphone photography industry and sets a new starting point for iPhone photography with its introduction to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max in iOS 14.3.

It is no mystery that smartphone photography is increasingly replacing cameras in many situations: myself, who have been promoting it for at least 10 years, I’ve seen a crazy evolution in this sector.

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Titles are more than just names

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Between 2010 and 2013, I toured the world for the first time. After living in Australia and Asia, I returned home but always felt like my urge to visit and live in foreign places was still not fully satisfied. Back home, I started working and studying and after five years I wanted to head out again. So I set off on yet another world tour in 2017, covering everywhere from Brazil to the USA and New Zealand to Vietnam.

After I completed my second big trip around the world, I looked back at images that I took over the span of two-and-a-half years in 15 countries on four different continents and realised how much more there is to the titles that I give my images than just names.

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No, AI editing will not ruin photography

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AI is the #1 buzzword in the digital photography world.

Skylum, which has ridden the AI photo editing craze better than any company, is about to release Luminar AI. ON1 now offers ON1 Portrait AI. DxO announced DxO DeepPRIME, which it describes as “an artificial intelligence technology dedicated to editing photos in RAW format.”

Adobe just made AI a major centerpiece in the latest version of Photoshop, declaring that Photoshop is “the world’s most advanced AI application for creatives.”

Reactions within the online photography community seem split. It feels like there’s a loud minority proclaiming AI to be pure evil. But there’s another side thinking about the convenience factor of one-click fixes.

So let’s talk about it.

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A super simple 2-light setup for shooting still life photography

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Big-shock I know. A coloured gel lighting technique from me is hardly surprising, but this time I’m scaling things down and today I’ll be sharing a super simple 2 light setup for still-life.

To be clear, I’m a million years away from being an even remotely good still-life photographer, but I thought I’d share this quick little setup as I had a few questions about some shots I shared in a recent article. Plus, if I, a know-nothing portrait and fashion shooter can throw together this still life setup, anyone can do it.

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