There's a joke that makes its way around photographic circles. It goes something like this: Q: What's the difference between a professional photographer and an amateur? A: The professional only shows off their best work. Once the chuckling subsides, you realise that it's actually a bit of a...
Once in a while, I come across someone who is creating very interesting work with simple cameras -- whether it might be a toy film camera, a basic point digital camera and shoot or, in the case of Colin Woolsey, his smartphone and a handful...
"I haven't got a creative bone in my body." That's something I hear time and again from photographers I've met in my journey in photography. "Why do you say that?" I'd ask. "My images are boring," they tell me. "I just can't seem to see the way...
The best works of art are created when we no longer consciously think about the tools we use; instead, we use the tools intuitively, to realise our vision. Photography is no different. One of the challenges photographers face in becoming better at image taking and...
A wide-angle lens or ultra-wide angle (UWA) lens is an important part of a photographer’s kit of lenses – particularly landscape photographers. A wide-angle lens lets us view and photograph a wide scene and fit it all into a single rectangular frame. This all sounds very...
1. A fast prime lens Fast lenses have nothing to do with how quickly they take a picture; instead, they are known as “fast” lenses because their apertures can open wide and let in a lot of light, thus giving you the ability to shoot at...
One of the most important things we can learn in photography is the understanding that the photograph captured by your camera is only the first stage in the evolution of the image. In fact, my preferred train of thought is to consider what the camera...
One of the challenges facing photographers is the limited dynamic range available in their camera's digital imaging sensor. Dynamic range describes the range of tones in a scene that can be effectively captured by your camera's sensor. Some sensors are better at capturing a wider...
I love photographing people. I love the challenge of connecting with the person and working with them to produce a fantastic portrait. Sometimes, the "moment it clicks" comes easily, as in this case of this portrait of Bruce and Peter, from the Nyinyikay community in...
I've started a new feature in the "Venture Horizons" monthly newsletter that we send to our customers and friends (you can sign up for the newsletter by filling in the form on the right-hand sidebar). In this feature I provide the back story and thinking...