Photo How To

Great photographs are not the result of great cameras. Superb cameras help, but the real secret to making great images is the ability to see photographs in your mind’s eye before you take them. Once this ability to “pre-visualize” an image is learned, it quickly becomes second nature. Here are five simple tips to jump-start your thinking outside the camera.

Welcome back! Last week we covered lenses that are well suited for five of the most popular camera activities, including kids’ sports, travel and online auctions. If you missed that piece, you’ll find it here. This week—as promised—five more lenses for five more activities. These are sometimes thought of as being in the realm of more advanced hobbyists, but that ain’t necessarily so. Read on…

Last fall Stanford University created quite a buzz when they enabled anyone to take their comprehensive digital imaging course online for free. Now thanks to web-based learning resource Alison, there’s a similar opportunity in which you can become a Harvard photography student at no cost!

While most photographers are packing their gear away for winter, an increasing number are finding winter to be their favorite season for photography. Photographers willing to brave the cold often find popular locations deserted, dramatic light, and fresh snow that makes scenes come alive. Whether it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a destination like Yellowstone, Alaska, or Yosemite, or something closer to home, winter is a great time to get to know these locations in a much more intimate way and at slower pace. Here are nine reasons why winter is the best season to go out and shoot.

Last month we showed you how to create better portraits by using a white balloon to soften the light from your camera’s pop-up flash. Now there are these five camera hacks to improve your photos with a simple plastic bag.

Time-lapse photography and time-lapse videos are still immensely popular and interest in them shows no signs of slowing down (so to speak). In fact, a spectacular time-lapse video of Chicago was the fifth most popular story on Shutterbug.com in 2016 and it’s easy to see why.