The most important tip I would like to share about travel photography is never buy a new camera or lens before traveling to Bhutan or even Carhenge. The next most essential travel photography secret is that using your equipment has to be instinctive; when a photo op presents itself you may only have a few seconds to get a shot. There’s no time to think about what menu to use or how to turn on continuous AF, or what exposure mode you’re in. Using your camera has to be instinctive; you should see—or even anticipate—then click the shutter. It’ll make travel more fun, too.

In any given issue of this magazine you’ll see lots of different genres of photography represented, showing the diversity not only of subject matter but also how these subjects are treated aesthetically and technically. It’s this diversity of style that makes the magazine so readable as well as so much fun. Our readers are a diverse lot, too, and this month you will see an all-readers’ Web Profiles. These readers come from all over the country and use a variety of methods to display their work, but they all have one thing in common: an overriding passion for the art and craft of photography.

This kit was created with the (studio or location) strobist photographer in mind and it features a Manfrotto Nanopole stand, a Snap Tilthead and a convenient carrying case. The Nanopole is a two-in-one device—built to be stable, lightweight and strong.

Pelican is now offering 3 new models of safety-approved headlights. They are crafted from lightweight (just over 3 ounces), durable, water and weather resistant polymer. Ideal for night photography, these hands free lights are easy to use and inexpensive to operate, powered by 3 AAA batteries (included). 

You have invested in camera equipment. You have sharpened your photographic skills. You even have a gallery of your photos online. Now what? The next step for many photographers is a public exhibition of their work. It is a way to be seen, to promote and market yourself and your work, and maybe, if you are lucky, even a way to sell a print or two.

When Yiming Hu was a freshman in college he rented a camera and fell in love with photography. After he moved from China to the United States he was drawn to landscape and travel photography and learned advanced photo techniques from books, magazines, the Internet, and lots of experience. Today he works as a computer engineering professor at the University of Cincinnati doing research, and as a second career he shoots landscapes and travel subjects in many locations to satisfy his photo appetite. I spoke with him recently about his work.

In our modern society, urban centers around the world are home to thousands of people. The streets of those cities and towns are alive with a tide of humanity that ebbs and flows according to the clock. This presents photographers with an endless treasure trove of images simply awaiting discovery.

Many features of Photoshop Elements can be customized to suit your liking. Surprisingly, some experienced users overlook this powerful capability. A great place to start is at the Preferences menu. This screen shot is from the Mac version, but the same concept applies to Win as well as full-blown Photoshop products.

With the photokina show in Germany still a month away, Leica Camera has jumped the gun and announced its latest rangefinder. Based on the popular M version, the stylish and lightweight Leica M-P shares many similar features with that model but with a few new additions.

Kodak Alaris has announced that—due to a steady decline in sales and customer usage—it is discontinuing the popular Kodak Professional BW400CN film.