Browsing all posts in Photography.

Be Flexible

Before we get to the article, I wanted to remind you all that today is the last day to enter our photo contest! Please submit a single photograph that best depicts the drama that can be achieved with a single flash. Post your photo on our Facebook Page, Google+ Community, or Flickr Group Discussion (please [...]

Review: Speedliter’s Handbook

When learning how to apply off-camera flash to your photography, beginner and intermediate photographers will find Speedliter’s Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites by Syl Arena to be an invaluable resource. Though written for Canon speedlite users, the book has advice, tips and tricks that can be applied to any brand of camera [...]

Contest: Single Flash Drama

Hello all! I’ve got another contest to announce! Once we have mastered the basics of photography – the in’s and out’s of the camera, the exposure triangle, depth of field, and the like – our thoughts start turning toward the manipulation of light. Before we acquire the skills necessary to manage a whole studio full [...]

Sharp vs. Focused, and Depth of Field

A photo has to be in focus in order to be sharp, but a photo does not have to be sharp in order to be in focus. This photo is sharp (click to see original size): Zoomed in to original size, you can see that every detail of the motorcycle and motorcyclist are very clear, [...]

Your Weekend Project – Soft Focus

Hi all! First off, I have a fun announcement. We have launched a brand new Google+ Community for Beyond Megapixels. Everyone is welcome to join, share photos, and talk about all of the things we’re learning about photography. Please head on over and join the conversation! Next week we’re going to talk a bit about [...]

Focus Stacking in Landscape Photography

The creative use of depth of field is one of the first things we learn as photographers. To some it was an epiphany to learn that we can choose which aspects of our image are in focus – from the smallest portion to the largest landscape. We know that if we choose a small aperture, [...]

A Study in Leading Lines

The purposeful use of leading lines encourages the viewer’s eyes to travel along a specific path. Test it upon yourself… look at this photo of flowers: The image is pretty and colorful, but does not compel your eyes to fall on any one place or follow any particular aspect. Now look at this photo: The [...]

Thirteen Goals for 2013

As I look back upon last year’s goals, I am reasonably satisfied with my success. I turned my spare room into a photo studio. I improved my portfolio. I got a macro lens. I entered (and won!) a photo contest. I took monthly (sometimes more often) photo excursions. And my husband got me this nifty [...]

Trust Your Camera

Sometimes it’s okay to trust your camera. We spend a lot of time talking about using aperture priority, or shutter priority, or full manual mode. We teach you how to “take control” of your camera and dictate the outcome of your photographs for yourself. We show you how to compensate for your camera’s perceived weaknesses [...]

CONTEST: Flared Fall Light

It’s autumn here in the United States. I love the long light of fall. It seems to have more depth, making the golden hour more “golden”. There may be a scientific reason for this, or it might just be a product of my own emotions. Regardless, lately I’ve been inspired to include a little bit [...]