Browsing all posts in "Photography".

Summer Is Coming

Here in Florida where I currently live, and in Arizona where Tiffany currently lives, summer is starting to remind us why we really, really like fall, winter and spring. With summer comes the heat, sometimes oppressive heat, and while it doesn’t get as hot here as it does in Arizona we do have something that [...]

Preparation Is One Of The Keys To A Successful Photo Shoot

By Steve Russell Two weeks ago I posted an article entitled “The 5 Ps of Photography.” This week I’m focusing on one of the Ps – Preparation. If you have a photo shoot coming up, unless it’s in your home, or studio if you have one, one of the keys to a successful photo shoot [...]

What Makes Black & White So Special

By Steve Russell When I look around, I see everything in color and never in black & white. Unlike before the 1970s movies are rarely produced in black & white (Schindler’s List is the last one I’m aware of) and even with two or three hundred available TV channels, they’re all in color. So if [...]

Back to Basics: Fill Light Two Ways

Fill light is used when the subject of the photograph is darker than the background. It is intended to lighten shadows and reveal detail. When you observe a photographer using a flash in the outdoors, during the daytime, often they are using the flash as a fill light. There is also a way to increase [...]

Macro Photography — Experimenting With Different Equipment

By Steve Russell Usually when I sit down to write an article I end up writing a lot of words and include a few photographs. For today’s article, I thought I’d include a lot of photos and write fewer words. Macro photography has long been one of my favorite approaches to photography. It’s possible to [...]

Camera Obscura Creates “Rooms With A View”

(Click on all photographs to enlarge and enjoy.) There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, when photography seemed like magic. Given what we know now, with concepts taught to us by our high-school science teachers, we understand the photographic process much better than our historical compatriots. That understanding has in no way removed the [...]

The 5 P’s of Photography

By Steve Russell If you’ve served in the military or spent very much time around someone who has, you’ve probably heard of the five P’s. If you have heard of them, the ones for photography are somewhat different. They are Planning, Preparation, Patience, Perseverance, and Photoshop. How much time do you need to capture an [...]

Look to the Past to find Encouragement for the Future

From time to time, every photographer experiences a bit of discouragement. Perhaps we’ve had an “off” day in which we just couldn’t capture the shots we wanted. Maybe what we find ourselves having to photograph is a far cry from what we really wish to be photographing. Or it could be that we’ve hit a [...]

Photography 101: Fixed Aperture Explained

A reader recently sent me an e-mail, asking me to explain how fixed aperture lenses work. She was suffering under the misconception that a fixed aperture on a lens means that’s the only aperture that lens is capable of shooting. Apertures tend to be a subject that can be confusing to a beginning photographer. Primarily, [...]

Camera Gear Storage

I’ve noticed that there aren’t a lot of camera gear storage solutions out there. At least, none that are designed specifically for storing camera equipment. Most photographers seem to cobble together their own solutions – a shelf in their closet, a dresser or cabinet re-appointed from its original intended use, stuffed camera bags stashed in [...]