Creative Uses for 3 Lenses in iPhone Portraiture

One of the most important technical aspects of photography involves the choice of lenses. On our iPhones, we have several options to choose from, and the idea is that we understand what each lens is capable of and how to use it for our desired outcome. Lenses in photography have two important properties: The amount… Continue reading Creative Uses for 3 Lenses in iPhone Portraiture

Spotlight on flat lay photography and how to incorporate it in your commercial portfolio

It’s a trend you’ve seen all over your social media feeds, initially popularized by brands like Sephora, Apple, and Gap and proliferating under hashtags like #flatlay, #flatlays, #flaylaystyle, #flatlaytoday. “Flat lay photography” is exactly what it sounds like: a straight overhead-style shot of objects arranged neatly on a flat surface. The curated Instagram page @flatlays… Continue reading Spotlight on flat lay photography and how to incorporate it in your commercial portfolio

How to unlock your smartphone camera’s best hidden features

Jeff Carlson What could be more fundamental to photography today than our smartphone cameras? They’re ever-present, ready in moments, and the technology behind them makes it easy to capture great photos in most situations. And yet, I regularly encounter people who are unaware of many of the core functions of the built-in camera app. Smartphone… Continue reading How to unlock your smartphone camera’s best hidden features

Jamie Beck’s photos from the French countryside look like Renaissance paintings

One of Beck’s self portraits in a Provence lavender field. Jamie Beck Six years ago, photographer Jamie Beck was seemingly living the life. She was running a thriving commercial photography studio in New York City and had all the trappings of success—prestigious clients from Vogue to Nike, a beautiful apartment, designer clothes, a vintage car.… Continue reading Jamie Beck’s photos from the French countryside look like Renaissance paintings

Ephemeral auroras and playful galaxies: these are the Astronomy Photographer of the Year winners

“Back to the spaceship,” runner-up, People & Space category. © Mihail Minkov An aurora dances, illuminating the night sky. The Milky Way stretches across snowy mountain tops. An abstracted view of the sun and moon. These images and more make up the winning cohort for this year’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards, which are… Continue reading Ephemeral auroras and playful galaxies: these are the Astronomy Photographer of the Year winners

100 Free Lightroom Presets — Instant Image Filters and Photo Styles

Who doesn’t love free Adobe Lightroom presets? With just one click, you can borrow and tap into the style of other photographers. Presets can transform your images and add styles in a second. As Lightroom’s popularity has increased, so has the quality of presets to modify and enhance images. Because Lightroom is a “non-destructive” image editor, we… Continue reading 100 Free Lightroom Presets — Instant Image Filters and Photo Styles

From majestic migrations to bullish brawls, these are the Bird Photographer of the Year winners

“Sandhill crane flight team air show,” Bronze Award Winner in the Creative Imagery category. Wei Lian Photographically speaking, birds reign supreme here at PopPhoto. We just finished covering the 13th annual Audubon Photography Awards, and now we’re back with another stunning gallery of avian life. The 2022 Bird Photographer of the Year awards showcase majestic… Continue reading From majestic migrations to bullish brawls, these are the Bird Photographer of the Year winners

How to Use Slow Shutter Speed With a Flash to Freeze Motion in a Photo

In this tutorial from the Intermediate Flash Photography course, we’re going to be talking about how to use a slow shutter speed and a flash to get really cool images like this: How to Freeze an Image With Flash One of the first things that most photographers learn is that in order to get sharp… Continue reading How to Use Slow Shutter Speed With a Flash to Freeze Motion in a Photo

Is this the beginning of the end for Canon third-party lenses?

Canon is apparently not thrilled about Viltrox’s AF-capable 85mm lens for RF-mount. Viltorx Some friendly advice: If you’re a Canon RF-mount mirrorless shooter looking to expand your kit with third-party lenses, better do it soon. Canon appears ready to put the kibosh on sales of non-authorized optics for its flagship mirrorless mount and has already… Continue reading Is this the beginning of the end for Canon third-party lenses?