Lighting How To

Smartphone camera technology has advanced to the point that it's now long past time to stop looking down on photographers who pursue our craft with a mobile device in their hand. After all, with four billion smartphones capturing 73% of all images, it's time to embrace the power of your Apple or Android phone, and that’s the topic of today's tutorial from the My Photo Journey YouTube channel.

Most beginning photographers are taught to shoot will the sun at their back and avoid composing scenes with the sun behind their subject. While that technique is super easy, it often results in photos that could best be described as snapshots.

Many of us have busy schedules with jobs and other obligations that prevent from us being out in the field in early morning and late afternoon when Golden-Hour bathes the landscape with soft, beautiful tones. This means shooting in the middle of the day when high contrast and harsh illumination pose a difficult challenge.

Instructor Andy Parkinson is a National Geographic photographer and Nikon Ambassador who has traveled the world to capture stunning imagery under just about every lightning condition imaginable. He's also very generous about sharing the secrets to his amazing work that have earned him over 130 domestic and international awards.

Whether the holidays bring out your “Humbug!” or your “Ho, ho, ho!” there’s one thing you must admit: it’s the most colorful season of the year. Except maybe for spring. And autumn. Anyway, all seasonal colors are just begging to be zoomed, blurred and pleasantly smeared. Smartphone users: you can play too.

The handheld light meter is an extremely powerful accessory that was far more popular in the days of 35mm photography. But this versatile and precise tool is just as valuable when shooting with modern digital cameras, and this tutorial explains why, when, and how.

If there's one camera variable that doesn't fit into the set-it-and-forget-it category it's the ISO you select for every scene you confront. Choose wisely and you're on the road to success, but an incorrect pick can severely compromise the quality of a photo.