Ron Leach

Most of the tutorials we post involve techniques for shooting various kinds of photos, image-editing methods for enhancing your work, or a discussion of different types of gear. This post is a bit different, as it quickly explains an important imaging concept that will enable you to make more compelling photographs.

Everyone loves shooting people pictures, but amateurs are a distinct disadvantage when it comes to making compelling portraits. That’s because, unlike pros, hobbyists typically lack a studio with expensive lighting equipment and a budget for wardrobe and props.

Dealing with ever-changing light and maximizing depth of field are two of the biggest challenges when making landscape photographs. Tonal values often range from dark shadows to bright sunlit areas, and some scenes call for sharply rendered areas from foreground to background.

The best travel and nature images include a bit of artistic flair, but there are also several common mistakes to avoid if you want your images to be really special. In the two-minute video below, an accomplished New Zealand pro summarizes the most consistent errors we make and explains how to fix them.