On The Cover This month our focus is on lenses and we have tips and reviews that cover the optical gamut, from fisheyes to teles to super-wide zooms. Lenses aside, we also have expert advice on how to properly protect your gear, which will certainly come in handy if you decide to take the RV digital darkroom challenge ofwrite...
You’re buying studio lights, maybe for the first time. After deciding which lights will fit your style and budget, you need to decide upon light modifiers. The two most common ones are umbrellas and soft boxes. Which should you buy and why? Andis...
Use The Edge Of Night & Day In Your Landscape Images
by Brad Perks
The terminator line is created by the earth’s shadow. It is literally the edge of night and day, which some photographers refer to as the twilight zone. The shadow first appears in shades of blue along the horizon. Dramaticter...
Two of my passions are photography and jazz, so I was doubly saddened by the recent passing of Herman Leonard who was responsible for many of the iconic images of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and other jazz greats.
On The Cover Software upgrades happen as regular as clockwork these days, leaving many a photographer to wonder if the upgrades are really worthwhile. That said, this month we explore what’s new with the latest versions of Adobe’s Photoshop and Apple’s Aperture. We also provide our picks for laptops, soyo...
In what a Marquette University Professor deems a “shocking betrayal,” it seems that
famed civil rights photographer Ernest Withers was a paid FBI informant at the same
time he befriended high-ranking civil rightslead...
Too often, we photographers are forced to take pictures with what seems like one hand tied behind our backs. By this I mean we can’t use a tripod in low light situations. Sometimes this prohibition is reasonable, such as in museums.No...
There are many reasons why people travel. Some like the spirit of adventure and discovery, and others enjoy intermingling with people from other cultures and seeing the world from a different point of view. There are people who travel to sellt...
On The Cover Welcome to our annual imaging software update issue. We explore all the latest imaging software has to offer, from calibration to retouching to special effects. In addition, we have a Test Report special on super potent photo plug-ins. We also have reports on Sony’s NEX-3, a compact system camera, andEpson...
Since we were toddlers, we’ve all been told to think positive. I guess that in most situations that will serve you well. But photographically, you may want to ignore that advice. If you’re not entirely pleased with your latest picture...
On The Cover This month we’re shining a spotlight on lighting tools and techniques. We delve into LED lights, speedlights, macro ringlights, lighting accessories, and more. Lighting aside, Jon Canfield explores Adobe’s Lightroom 3 to see if it really is worth the upgrade. We also test HiTi’s PocketStudioprinter.
How many times have you looked at a Raw digital image on your computer screen and thought that there is more to this shot than meets the eye? You may want to restore tonal values, enhance contrast, and maybe boostsaturati...
If the recently concluded Photokina is any indication, the photographic industry is alive
and well—with booming attendance on the part of exhibitors and visitors and an
impressive array of new product introductions. The 31st World ofImag...
While there may be times when you want to open shadows to see the details “inside,” deep texture and detail-less shadows play an important role in defining the space in a photograph. Such shadows can also take on a character orl...
A Quick Lesson On An Often Ignored Metering Pattern
by George Schaub
When light is directional—not over the shoulder and not the same brightness throughout the frame—try center-weighted averaging metering. The key is to aim the camera at an area that incorporatesthe...