Photo How To

Understanding depth of field is a crucial factor in achieving the best possible images, particularly when shooting complicated outdoor scenes that include objects from foreground to background and everything in between.

The first thing most photographers do when out in the field shooting landscapes is to mount a wide-angle lens on their camera. But a lot more goes into making great photographs than choosing the right focal length.

Macro photography in winter? You bet. Opportunities abound this time of year, from snowflakes, berries, and pinecones, to frozen dewdrops and barren tree branches covered with sparkling frost. If you’re new to close-up photography, the quick tutorial below will help you get started.

There’s nothing more distracting that a beautiful photo with distorted vertical or horizon lines, or a crooked horizon. Fortunately, there’s a simple method for straightening everything out during the editing process in Photoshop or Lightroom.

All photographers want to coax every ounce of image quality and sharpness from whatever gear they own, and that’s particularly true when it comes to valuable glass.

Quite a few photographers prefer making portraits with available light—either because they prefer the look, or they don’t own supplemental light equipment. It’s possible to do that indoors, like when using window lighting, but the typical approach is to shoot outdoors.

One challenge with all forms of outdoor photography is that we're always at the mercy of the weather and prevailing lighting conditions. That fact is particularly evident when you wake up on a nice day, pack your gear, and travel to a favorite location—only to confront a pretty scene with a rather boring sky.