Photo How To

One question I’m frequently asked is, “Are you a natural-light photographer or do you use flash?” All too often that query stems from a popular misconception that using supplemental light is too difficult or confusing for mere mortals. As you’ll see in the basic tutorial below, nothing could be further from the truth.

The photography essayist, critic, and historian A.D. Coleman once said that the biggest mistake photographers make was “thinking that what they’re experiencing is what they’re capturing in the photograph.”

Many landscape photographers never leave home without a polarizing filter, and consider this simple accessory almost mandatory for everything they do. But as you see in the eye-opening tutorial below, one pro says polarizers may detract from an image in certain situations—depending on the specific scene at hand and the mood you want to create.

Sooner or later all photographers hit the doldrums, and completely run out of fresh ideas. The next time that happens to you, try shooting abstract images using the tips and tricks you’ll learn in the tutorial below.

Many photographers strive for images with bright vibrant colors that are saturated to the max. But taking a more subtle approach can deliver beautiful results, with soft pastel colors that stand out from the crowd.

Have you ever deleted photos by mistake when reviewing images on your camera’s LCD screen? If not, it’s quite possible you’ll do so in the future, and trust us: it’s a mind-numbing experience.

One of the great appeals of b&w imagery is that by stripping away color it’s possible to achieve very dramatic photos with high contrast, deep blacks, and properly exposed highlights. If your monochrome images are bland and disappointing, this tutorial is for you.