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.
7 Tips to make your camera’s battery last longer
Nov 8, 2016
John Aldred
With the number of extra gadgets and doohickies built into our cameras these days, battery life is diminishing. Larger sensors, faster processors, more memory, built…
TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential photographs of all time
Nov 8, 2016
John Aldred
Founded in 1923, TIME Magazine has presented the world with some of its most iconic photography for years. Sifting through all those images to find…
How to get cinematic lighting without electricity
Nov 7, 2016
John Aldred
Most of my shoots, whether for stills or video, are out on location. Often, those locations are out in the middle of nowhere. So, I…
Shooting large format on a budget with 4×5 direct positive paper
Nov 7, 2016
John Aldred
There’s little question that getting into film photography can still become rather expensive, especially if you’re going large format. But it doesn’t have to be….
Everyday objects are barely recognisable shot through a macro lens
Nov 4, 2016
John Aldred
Macro lenses can be a fascinating thing. They can show us a side of our world that we didn’t even know existed. Letting us get…
Camera thieves caught trying to sell stolen goods to off-duty Brooklyn cop
Nov 4, 2016
John Aldred
Having one’s camera gear stolen is the nightmare of every photographer. The nightmare for those that steal it? Being arrested by the guy you’re trying…
This free location scouting checklist helps you find the perfect shooting spots
Oct 31, 2016
John Aldred
For anybody who shoots outside of a set or the studio, location scouting is almost a necessity. Whether you’re shooting video or stills, if you…
How to shoot portraits on location with outdoor flash
Oct 31, 2016
John Aldred
Using flash on location is one of the best things you can to really push your outdoor portraits. Often, the natural light might give you…
Shooting with a 50+ year old Russian lens on a Sony A7RII
Oct 28, 2016
John Aldred
The Helios 44-2 is one of my favourite old lenses. This, along with the Jupiter-9 are my two most used manual focus lenses for stills…
Apple’s new MacBook Pro features a second touchscreen retina display
Oct 28, 2016
John Aldred
Hot on the heels of Microsoft’s new Surface Studio, Apple have announced the new MacBook Pro. What is their thinnest and lightest unit ever, the new…