Photo How To

It was shortly after I’d completed a remote Zoom presentation to a group of camera-club members that I decided to share some of the images and main points of my talk in this column. I show photographs, explain the process of making them, and answer questions, and at a time when in-person workshops, camera club meetings, and field trips were impossible, doing Zoom sessions was a welcome chance for members of the photo community to stay connected, motivated, and inspired.

If you’ve never used a hand-held light meter, the difference between incident and reflected exposure readings may be unfamiliar. It’s a very important distinction that helps explain why many photographers invest in a hand-held meter, despite the sophisticated exposure capabilities of today’s advanced digital cameras.

One of the basic tenets of landscape photography is to “be at the right place at the right time,” which is why many of us prefer to shoot at blue hour—just before sunrise or after sunset. But what if you stumble upon a beautiful scene earlier in the day when the light isn’t quite right?

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.