Opinion

A smartphone is, in a way, the gateway drug that can lead to a lifelong addiction to photography. For millions of aspiring photographers, these multi-purpose devices are their first introduction to image-making and many smartphone users eventually get hooked on the craft.

Photokina, the photography “show of shows,” opens in Cologne, Germany on September 20. The size of this biennial event is monstrous—you have to experience it to believe it. In 2014, a total of 1,074 exhibitors from 51 countries hosted 183,297 attendees. We’re taking serious show here. In honor of Photokina, here’s a pop quiz to test your knowledge of photography. 

I shoot most of my photos using the LCD screen on the back of my cameras rather than looking through the eyepiece viewfinder. I prefer the LCD screen for several reasons and I think other photographers should seriously consider how the rear monitor can actually make photography easier and your images better.

When getting started in photography, it's easy to get enamored with all the enticing equipment out there and go on a spending spree, listening to everything everyone suggests you need in the process. However, most of the photo gear people say you "absolutely need" to be a successful photographer isn't as important as they may make it seem, and it's critical to develop your own workflow of tools.

My DSLRs are on the shelf.

Professional photographer Darren Miles knows how to start an argument. And because it involves one of our favorite topics – choosing the right lens for your camera – we thought we’d share it with you.

There are no shortcuts to improving as a landscape photographer but knowing a few simple things certainly helps. And in the below video from landscape photographer Mads Peter Iversen, he shares five "secrets" he says you must know if you want to get better at shooting landscapes.