Browsing all posts in photography tips.

Off-roading with my camera

(Click on photos to see larger versions.) Most weekends my husband and I head out to explore the many off-road trails that Arizona has to offer. We have seen hundreds of stunning sights from the safety and comfort of our Jeep. As our skills and confidence have grown, we have tackled more and more challenging [...]

Tips for Using a Soft Focus Filter

(click any image to enlarge) Soft focus effects can be achieved fairly easily in post-processing software programs such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 or Adobe Photoshop CS6. However, I encourage you to practice achieving the look you want straight out of the camera. To that end, I recommend that you consider trying out a soft [...]

Create an Ethereal Landscape

Creating a “soft glamour glow” is a popular Photoshop technique for portraiture. When applied to a landscape photograph, the same technique adds a sense of the ethereal and the fanciful. For this tutorial I will be using Adobe Photoshop CS6. Here is the original photograph, taken in the red mountains of Sedona, Arizona. (Click any [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]

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 [...]

BMP Greatest Hits – My Lightroom Workflow

I will be traveling this week, heading back to my childhood home because of an illness in the family. In the meantime, I will be posting three of the most-visited articles on our site. Enjoy, and I’ll see you next week! ———- By Tiffany Joyce, originally posted 12/29/2011 A few folks have sent messages, asking [...]