Flower portraits: Beautiful examples and must-have tips

From Horst P. Horst’s 1951 picture of the fashion model Evelyn Tripp in a ballgown to Tyler Mitchell’s now-famous 2018 cover photo of Beyoncé for Vogue magazine, flowers have always had a place in creative portrait photography. A few years ago, Emily Soto made this portrait for Allure on film to celebrate springtime in New… Continue reading Flower portraits: Beautiful examples and must-have tips

Selected Intimate Landscapes of Newcastle Area Trails

Photography and text by Bill Edwards Intimate Landscapes My more distant photo trips into the expansive mountains of Washington’s Cascades provide ample opportunity to capture rugged alpine landscapes with dramatic views, while the local woodland trails are all about the little views. I affectionately call them “Intimate Landscapes.”  Between the rains, I hike the lonely… Continue reading Selected Intimate Landscapes of Newcastle Area Trails

15 places every landscape photographer should add to their bucket list

For William Henry Jackson in 1870, it was Yellowstone Lake. In 1904, for Edward Steichen, it was a tucked-away pond nestled in the woods at Mamaroneck, New York. For Eliot Porter in 1962, it was the woodlands of New England. For Galen Rowell, it was Half Dome in Yosemite in 1972. For some of history’s… Continue reading 15 places every landscape photographer should add to their bucket list

The power of a background in portrait photography

Ever since Irving Penn first started experimenting with white paper backdrops in the 1940s—and later, an old, repurposed theater curtain from the 1950s—portrait photographers have been pushing the boundaries of what backgrounds can look like. Far beyond the scope of the conventional, artists on 500px have found new ways to use traditional studio items—such as… Continue reading The power of a background in portrait photography

Landscape photography tips

Picture it: Yosemite Valley, 1861. There were no roads yet, but a photographer by the name of Carleton Watkins was there, alone in the vast landscape and surrounded by the sounds of the waterfalls. With him was a custom camera, equipped with a wide-angle lens. His goal was to show the rest of the world… Continue reading Landscape photography tips

Winter wonderlands: 11 tips to create whimsical landscapes

While it can be tempting to curl up indoors with a cup of tea and a blazing fire, winter is one of the most magical seasons for photographers—regardless of where you live. The Dutch photographer Roeselien Raimond, for instance, has braved -12°C weather to witness wild foxes playing amid a snowstorm. Meanwhile, in Iceland, Patrycja… Continue reading Winter wonderlands: 11 tips to create whimsical landscapes

How to Create a Signature Look for Your Photos With Lightroom Classic

If you follow photographers on social media, try this out: open your favorite app, start scrolling, but try not to look at who posted the photo. Now, try to guess the photographer behind each image. It might be easier than you think, thanks to each photographer’s signature look. A signature look is the repeated combination of shooting… Continue reading How to Create a Signature Look for Your Photos With Lightroom Classic

Tips for gorgeous fall photos

As the days grow shorter, tree swallows and monarch butterflies begin their migrations. Garden spiders weave their webs, visible in the morning dew. Over warm water, the cool autumn air creates ethereal fog. The green leaves turn to shades of lemon, amber, and mahogany. The quality of the sunlight itself also changes at this time… Continue reading Tips for gorgeous fall photos