Photo How To

One of the main tools we have for creating visual effects are lenses, the photographer’s eye on the world. Every choice of lens has implications about what you can and cannot include in the frame, how subjects within the frame relate to one another and how we use aperture settings and focal length to create a special point of view. In this chapter we’ll explore lens choice as well as lens controls that are essential to creative photography, including depth of field and focusing options.

The race was more joy than suspense. American Pharoah had already taken the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, and he led the 2015 Belmont Stakes from the start and was never challenged. Early on, racing fans at Belmont Park were pretty sure they were going to see the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.

While branding might not be as sexy a topic as fashion or travel photography, it’s a critical element to making your photography business a success. Fortunately, we have a good group of educated and experienced photographers to help bring us up to date on what branding is, how to create it, mistakes to avoid, and why it’s so important to your business. Bottom line? Marketing your photography with a strong brand message will give you a competitive edge and get you paid what you are worth. I want to thank my patient contributors for sharing their knowledge and lessons with us: Casey Bevington, Matthew Dutile, Andrew Fingerman at PhotoShelter, Karen Hirsch, Giulio Sciorio, Beth Taubner at Mercurylab, and Daniel Waters at Get Pro Photo. They gave so many good ideas and tips that you will want to take notes!

Have you ever wished you could photograph colorful frogs, exotic birds, and tropical forest landscapes all in the same day? If so, then a trip to the tropics may be in order for your next photo adventure.

Want to take better and more interesting photos with your smartphone? COOPH (The Cooperative of Photography) recently partnered with photographer Richard Schabetsberger to create a great new how-to video for fantastic smartphone photography.

Ever wish you could make the sky more blue without changing the foreground color and without tweaking the image with software? Or maybe give a daytime shot that sunset look? Welcome to the world of square graduated filters. Welcome to the world of Cokin.

COOPH (The Cooperative of Photography) recently partnered with photographer Ray Demski to create a video that highlights 14 smart and practical travel photo tips and tricks. The video, which is embedded below, was shot in beautiful Venice, Italy and features tips to make your photo adventure much easier, safer and more fun.