Posts by Author: John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
A fast way to dodge & burn in Photoshop
Dec 5, 2017
John Aldred
Dodging and burning has become as commonplace to Photoshop as it was in the darkroom with film. But in Photoshop it can be a tedious…
Photographing the Milky Way handheld with the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art lens
Dec 4, 2017
John Aldred
Only a few short years ago, the idea of handheld photographs of the Milky Way would’ve been a thing of fantasy. Now, though, thanks to…
This miniature replica Canon IV SB rangefinder is an $80 USB stick with only 8GB of space
Nov 29, 2017
John Aldred
For the Canon shooter who has everything, this could be the perfect little stocking filler this year. Assuming you love them enough to spend $80…
Sigma is working on a Foveon sensor for video use
Nov 28, 2017
John Aldred
Well, this is a surprise and not an unwelcome one. Few people seem to realise that as well as being a leading 3rd party lens…
Five free video editors that deliver professional level results
Nov 28, 2017
John Aldred
If the price is the only factor stopping you from diving into the world of serious video editing, there we have some good news. Many…
How to create an alternate reality mirror in After Effects
Nov 27, 2017
John Aldred
This is one of those classic movie effects, especially in horror movies. There’s your soon-to-be victim, looking at themselves in the mirror. They finish what…
When, why and how to use a light meter to nail your exposure every time
Nov 27, 2017
John Aldred
Light meters seem to be a controversial subject these days. On the one side, you’ve got those who swear by them, wouldn’t shoot without them….
How to make your own $6 DIY Paracord camera wrist strap
Nov 27, 2017
John Aldred
Camera straps are a very personal thing. We all have our own preferences, straps we like and straps we hate. There’s been a lot of…
How forced perspective works and the maths behind it
Nov 24, 2017
John Aldred
Forced perspective is one of the most wonderfully creative tools photography affords. It allows us to create optical illusions that either baffle or simply amuse…
This is what each of the lights do on a studio portrait set
Nov 22, 2017
John Aldred
Shooting portraits in the studio with flash can be daunting to newer photographers. They look at the setups like the one above and have no idea…