What is ISO? Were you a photographer in the film days? If you took photos back then, you had to buy film. It came in a box, probably yellow, but possibly green, and it had a big number on it; 100, 200, 400, etc. Those numbers were the ASA film speed. ASA stood for the American Standards Association. The higher the number, the ‘faster’ the film, or the more sensitivity to light. If you accidentally bought some ASA 1600 film (not likely as it was expensive), your images turned out grainy. That was the analog equivalence of digital noise. If you were in the middle of a shoot and needed faster fil ..read more

If you are in the thick of job hunting and submitting applications to potential employers, you are probably also looking to freshen the photo that goes with your resume or your LinkedIn profile. A good headshot is one of the things that help make a good first impression with potential bosses. The good thing is that you can take an impressive and professional-looking headshot using your mobile phone. Read on to know how you can do this. 1. Set to High-Resolution Mode You can get a professional-looking headshot with high-resolution images. Most phones come with high-resolution modes with enough ..read more

What could be more fun than making a hobby a full-time paying business?  Photography is an extremely popular hobby, and you may be considering selling your photos on stock image websites. Maybe you travel a lot and take hundreds of photos on every trip.  Perhaps you just love street photography, and you wander around downtown taking photos of buildings and people. What if you could upload them to websites and sell them for supplemental or even full-time income? Finding a stockphotography marketplace to sell on There are dozens of stock image websites to sell your photograph ..read more

What is macro photography? Macro photography is one of those terms that is often misused. People tend to call anything shot close-up as macro, but technically, that is not accurate. Macro photography is close-up work with a lens made explicitly for a macro that shoots at a 1:1 magnification ratio. But, like many things, the reality is different, and most people don’t really care about the technical definition. If it is very close work, they call it macro. The only people that care are purists or photographers that specialize in that kind of work. If you want to shoot true macro photography or ..read more

When learning photography, you will hear much about the exposure triangle. The three sides of that triangle are Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO. But while ISO has been around for decades (in the film days, it was called ASA), the two factors that affect the actual exposure have always been aperture and shutter speed. ISO will determine how the light that hits the digital sensor is handled, but aperture and shutter speed together control how much light. But if they both control light, why do you need both? Why not just learn one or the other? This article will help you understand aperture and ..read more

For those photographers aspiring to be in front of the stage, behind the stage, or in a spot to take live performance photographs, a new book, Three Songs, No Flash! An Ultimate Guide to Concert Photography (Rocky Nook, Inc, 2010) by Loe Beeren, will make a great field guide. The book is packed with wonderful photographs that are technically correct as well as composed for the ultimate emotional effect. The book is not one for the beginner photographer unless it is used as a composition primer. The technical tips and techniques are better understood by those photo hogs with some time behind th ..read more

Dynamic Range can be Tough to Explain In the simplest form, dynamic range refers to the degree of light in a scene, from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights. But to a beginning photographer, this can be unclear, especially when the term HDR, or High Dynamic Range, is often misused. The first facet that confuses people is the vast difference between what the human eye can see and what the camera can see and differentiate. Look out your window at the house or building across the street. You can see all of the details in the building, including the shadows under awnings and the bright ..read more

If you have passion and talent for photography, then you also have the potential to start a successful business. Photographers are in high demand for a variety of different types of work, whether that be portraits for families and couples, event photography, photography for magazines and online publications, or something else entirely. With some focus, planning, and dedication, you can develop your own photography business and make money doing something you truly love. Before starting your photography business, here are some tips to help you succeed. 1. Decide What Kind of Photography You Want ..read more

Behind every great film is a great director of photography. Even bad movies have a decent director of photography. These professionals are not in charge of taking pictures, but rather managing light. After all, “photo” is Greek for “light.” Major motion pictures, commercials, and YouTube Channels all need to use good lighting techniques so the audience can see what’s going on. One of the best and easiest techniques is using 3 point lighting. As the name implies, this technique utilizes three light sources. Here is what you need to know to set up lighting for videos: Key Light This should be th ..read more

Shooting great family pictures is an important skill for a photographer, whether you are an amateur or a professional. The popular style creates a few challenges for the photographer, but it’s also a fun opportunity to capture the spirit of the family while expressing your creativity. The following nine tips will help you achieve successful family photo shoots. Learn About the Family Make an effort when booking a new family to get to know them a little. Learning about their interests, hobbies, and everyday lifestyle helps you shoot memorable and unique pictures. Find ways to incorporate what y ..read more