Photofocus

When I first started my photography business, one of the biggest things I struggled with was figuring out how I would stand out within my community. It’s no secret that photographers seem to be a dime a dozen (sorry), meaning we tend to lurk around practically every corner. Do a quick Google search in your area, and I’m fairly certain you will find quite a few photographers within just a few mile…

While there’s nothing wrong about being an amateur (we all go through that phase), the goal should be to progress from amateurish photos. Part of that is to intentionally avoid the biggest mistakes that most amateurs make — it’s what separates the beginners from the professionals. That’s what Evan Ranft helps us with in today’s featured video. Apart from his own experience learning and getting ah…

If you’re setting up a small space at home for portrait photography, let me show you how you can easily create a simple, effective studio with just three essentials. In this video, I’ll walk you through what I use: a quality softbox for soft, flattering light, a sturdy light stand to hold everything securely, and a versatile 5-in-1 reflector to bounce and control the light. I’ll show you how each…

When you’re new to photography, one of the things that are high up on your to-do list is to master your gear. Aside from camera settings, you also need to familiarize yourself with crucial equipment like lenses. However, it can be overwhelming even for non-beginners, especially when they switch to a different brand or format. Here’s where the quick tips above by nature and wildlife photographer S…

Photography and photographs have always been used to eternalize a moment before they soon become a memory. But do they actually improve your memory? If you are a photographer who spends a lot of time taking photos or if you are interested in photography, this topic might be of interest to you. After all, if you could produce beautiful images while improving your brain function, why shouldn’t you?…

It’s time to make your voice heard! Each week, we ask a question of our readers so we know what sort of content to produce more of. Your input helps us make Photofocus better. This week, we want to know, do you still attend photography workshops? Do you still learn what you want or need to move your photography forward from classes or mentorships? Or do you find the countless online tutorials or …

When we speak of street photography, we mostly associate it with quick, perfectly-timed compositions that freeze moments in time. But if you’re feeling experimental with your street photography, you might be interested in trying out slow shutter speed in your next photo walk. In the video above, Danish street photographer Frederik Trovatten shares how he uses slow shutter speed in his street snap…

Keep the shadows and create more mystery. Sometimes in light painting, less is more. I’ll show examples of creating drama by illuminating less of the subject. What is light painting? Light painting is a term that is often used loosely to describe any addition of light to a night photograph. Really, though, light painting is a technique that uses a handheld light source to illuminate a scene durin…

When it comes to lighting equipment for macro photography, most photographers prefer using flashes. However, if you’re new to the craft and only have some LED lights available, you must be wondering if you can also use those. Well, we found just the video that can help with that! For his experiment, Swedish macro photographer Micael Widell wanted to address two things. First, he wanted to show if…

Wide angle lenses provides a lot of benefits when it comes to action photography. Here are four of the ones I love most!

So, you’re ready and raring to go on a photowalk or outdoor photo session when suddenly the skies turn gray and rain starts pouring. What’s a photographer to do? Well, the show must go on. Here’s what you can take photos of instead when bad weather sets in. Bad weather has ruined the plans of many photographers, especially landscape photographers. But as Thomas Heaton reminds us, there are still …

Food photography has become an essential aspect of the culinary world. It inspires us to appreciate the visual artistry of food and entices our taste buds. Whether you are a professional photographer or an enthusiastic foodie, capturing the essence and allure of food can be a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. In this article, we will explore five detailed tips to help you master the art of comp…

The Simera series has gained attention for its refined performance and tactile design, winning the favor of vintage lens enthusiasts and modern creators alike. Building on the full-frame 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 75mm f/1.4 lenses, Thypoch now presents a more cinematic yet versatile addition to the lineup: the Simera 21mm f/1.4. It blends the series’ practical multi-focal philosophy with the cinematic…

The Orton Effect is a photographic technique that blends two different photos of the same scene to achieve a mix of high and low detail areas. It essentially adds a gentle blur and glow to give a dreamlike quality to landscapes and portraits. It was originally conceived by Michael Orton in the 1980s. So what actually is the Orton Effect? The Orton Effect is mostly added to landscapes in post-proc…

It’s probably not the first setting you tinker with, but knowing what metering mode to use will help you get better, more consistent results. Micro Four Thirds photographer Jimmy West shares how different metering modes affect your exposure and final image in the quick video above. He begins by explaining what metering is — it can get a bit technical, but it’s one of the technical lesson worth le…