Lately, I started to do some research about becoming a better writer. Apparently a lot of the suggestions that I read also translate into photography and probably a lot more creative professions. Thinking outside the box is always advised to get some new kind of input and reading tips about photography written by photographer’s all the time can get a bit stale. Therefore I took the tips that are directed at writers and transferred them into street photography....

It’s been a long time coming, and they’ve been common in compact cameras since the days of 35mm film, but it looks like retractable lenses might finally start popping up in our smartphones. During yesterday’s Xiaomi Developer Conference in Beijing, they showed off a new lens tech that could potentially help smartphone photography take a giant leap. And soon, too! GSMArena reports that Xiaomi has said the tech is ready to go, right now for implementation in real products....

If you want to join in, though, you may quickly discover that getting inside the circle of locations is not easy. In fact, it is extremely hard. Those abandoned locations are not shared over the net, and usually if you asked an urbexer where a certain photo was taken you would get a vague response. Those locations are kept in secrecy and are only shared in a very close circle....

There are some places that are hard to reach or it’s had to get a permit to photograph them. But if you want to shoot “The Wave” in Arizona, there’s a pretty unique permit process. You need to sign up for a special lottery that only ten photographers can win each day. photographer Todd Dominey was one of the lucky winners. In this fun and informative video, he shared his experience and a bit about the application process itself....

Do you want to create effective portraits? Then you’ve got to learn what to say to your subjects… and more importantly, what not to say. Remember the 10th Commandment of Portrait Photography: Do no harm. It’s the photographer’s job to make the subject comfortable. If your subject is comfortable, you’ll get better expressions. Better expressions mean better pictures. That’s why I put together this handy-dandy list of 7 things you should never say to your portrait subjects… and what you should stay instead....

About a month ago, we announced that Zenit is making a comeback with a full frame digital mirrorless camera. According to the latest information, the upcoming camera from Zenit could be based on the pricey Leica SL. According to USSRPhoto, the new Zenit’s camera will have the innards of the Leica SL, but with some modifications from Zenit. Russia-based company KMZ will produce the lens for the new camera....

Zhiyun has announced their new Smooth XS gimbal. Like the Smooth X launched earlier in the year, it’s a 2-axis gimbal designed for smartphones, although the Smooth XS is actually even smaller while seemingly offering the same feature set. The Smooth X offers up to five and a half hours of battery life from its internal battery that charges in three hours. It provides 290° in the pan access and 268° in roll with a payload of up to around 200g....

Bad audio is something that’s plagued action cameras since their inception. Some of them don’t do too terrible, and a few even let you plug in external mics. But action camera sound does generally tend to feel like an afterthought. Zoom have come up with a novel way of solving this issue. Instead of trying to cram better quality microphones into cameras, they’ve put the camera into the microphone. That’s basically what the new Zoom Q2n is....

We all know how expensive photo gear is. Luckily, if you’re just starting out or you’re a poor photographer, there are plenty of DIY and cheap options you can choose. Food photographer Skyler Burt of We Eat Together suggests a simple lighting setup that will cost you under $30. To show you just how well it works, he compares it to his professional $900 light. To create his simple DIY lighting setup for food photography, Skyler uses a cheap work light and some parchment paper....

With the coronavirus pandemic, many folks switched to working online. Things like teaching, business meetings and other face-to-face activities have been replaced with video calls. Home has become both home and workplace, and admit it: your wardrobe totally reflects this. Creative duo The Workmans shows this “fashion crossover” in their latest photo series #COVIDwear. The concept is “Business on the top. Quarantine on the bottom,” and yes, it’s exactly what it sounds....

When it comes to motorcycles, I’m the grown-ass man equivalent of the 8-year old girl with the pony sweater that every single person knew in grade school. I’m obsessed: they’re what got me into photography; motorcycle photography brings the funnest edits; and bikes are a huge part of my life.I’ve shot a lot of them in my short stint at photography, and I’ve learned a lot of “Do Not’s” in my time....

The Basic Filmmaker is one of my favourite channels on YouTube. As well as offering great filmmaking and photography tips, there’s often a whole heap of common sense thrown in for good measure, too. A video he posted today, got my interest, though. It’s a list of the top 10 things non-filmmakers can try over the holidays. A lot of it can apply equally to photographers, too. So, if you’re stuck for things to do this holiday season instead of obsessing over gear or showing off your newest toy, have a watch!...

Advertisements The Ocean Art Underwater Photo Contest is organized by the Underwater Photography Guide. This year, there have been submissions from 78 countries, and there have been $85,000 in sponsor prizes awarded to the winners. Other than the sixteen categories we knew from previous contests, there have been two new categories this year: conservation and blackwater diving. Even though they’ve only been introduced this year, they had an overwhelming response and there were lots of magnificent photos submitted....

With your new camera picked out, it’s time to get a lens. Or maybe you’re happy with your cameras, but you fancy trying a new lens. Whichever might apply to you, here are a few of our favourites that were either announced or released this year. A couple of the lenses in this list were announced before 2020, but it took a while for them to actually exist! The Lensbaby Velvet 28 expands their velvet lens lineup with a nice, quite wide focal length for both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras....

One of the key conditions for getting amazing shots and telling the story is choosing the proper lighting. In Apurture’s latest video, fashion cinematographer Kazu Okuda and Ted Sim share their best tips on lighting for fashion shots. Although they focus on high fashion videos, most of these tips are also applicable to photography. So no matter if you shoot video or stills, these techniques will help you improve your work....

It’s always fun and useful to learn skills, tips and tricks about lighting, and Caleb Pike of DSLR Video Shooter has shared tons of them so far. In his latest video, he shares important things to consider when lighting a bald subject. There are five tricks which will help you light hairless people properly, and since Caleb decided to shave his head, he demonstrates them on himself as the subject....

Gimbals are wonderful things, but just walking around holding a gimbal gets really boring really quickly, especially for the viewer. But that’s what often happens. Every shot looks like a “gimbal shot”. We’ve seen the same thing happen with drones, too. And like a drone, a gimbal can be a valuable storytelling tool, offering some unique shots. In this video, the guys from COOPH show us six creative ways we can use gimbals to make more interesting footage....

The judges remarked, “This image and its huge impact held the judge’s attention for a long time. You can almost smell the smoke in the room. A travel image that will stand the test of time.” I would add that the image exudes mood and atmosphere where colors, light and framing add to the narrative. There is an intimacy to this scene I find very compelling. The image tells a story which is both exotic and out of the extraordinary for those of us who live the industrialized world....

Every photographer or filmmaker has things that go into their bag, even if they’re working as part of a team. There are things that you just know you’ll need. While everybody’s list is going to be slightly different depending on what they shoot, it’s a good thing to think about. Just so you’re not caught off guard. In this video from Aputure, DP Julia Swain talks about the 8 essential items she keeps in her “Ditty Bag”....

A mix of traditional timelapse and hyperlapse, this video from Vimeo user jansoli shows off New York in all its colourful glory. From the bright day light advertising, to the beautiful night lights, New York is a wonder of colour. It’s an interesting mix of techniques. There’s even a few tricks in post to simulate flybys and shifting perspectives that weren’t possible in-camera. I’ve seen these post techniques applied before, but never with such effectiveness....