Whether it’s direct light, backlighting, or the often-overlooked blue hour lighting, understanding how to use these natural light effectively is a key skill.

In today's fast-paced world of AI and digital photography, tools like Aiarty Image Matting are transforming workflows for photographers. Designed for creators and businesses, it uses advanced AI to deliver precise background removal, even for challenging images. As a professional photographer, I find background removal essential in most of my commercial work, and sometimes dealing with a complex subject can be frustrating.

A half-frame film camera could be the perfect Christmas gift. Make the right choice with this handy guide.

Photoshop’s ability to make precise selections has taken another step forward. If you frequently work with portraits or group shots, this new beta update introduces a significant improvement that simplifies editing specific areas of an image.

The choice between editing photos in color or black and white can profoundly impact how your images communicate mood, focus, and story. This decision isn't just about aesthetics—it’s a fundamental part of your photographic voice.

Professional real estate and architecture photography often hinges on creating impactful, visually engaging images. To truly stand out, you need to move beyond technical skills and embrace artistic principles.

Photographers and videographers should probably be concerned about the scary "boogeymachine" that is AI. It's very likely that in the next decade, many photo and video jobs will be replaced by AI, and this will inevitably change the photo and video industry.

When shooting portraits on location, you are dependent on the ambient light—unless you bring your own lights. I decided to use flash to overpower the ambient light. This approach allowed for more variation during this portrait session. Let me explain how.

Prime lenses are known for their stunning image quality and shallow depth of field, but they can be prohibitively expensive. If you're using a zoom lens, you might wonder if it’s possible to achieve similar results without the hefty price tag. This video explores how to create prime-lens-like subject separation by mastering four key concepts.

Compact cameras are evolving, blending portability with professional-grade features. The Nikon Z50 II is an impressive upgrade to the original Z50, a camera already known for its solid performance and accessibility.

Seascape photography offers a unique blend of challenges and opportunities, with the ocean providing dynamic, challenging, and ever-changing scenes. Over the years, I have learned and practiced how different shutter speeds can dramatically alter the mood and feel of your images. Here’s what I’ve learned and some actionable tips to elevate your seascape photography.

SmallRig has joined forces with YouTuber Gene ‘Potato Jet’ Nagata, resulting in the SmallRig x Potato Jet Tribex video tripod. This hydraulic tripod can be set up in just a few seconds, making it perfect for situations where speed is of the essence. This is my honest review of this unique tripod.

Photography is more than capturing what’s in front of you. It's about telling a story that resonates. This video explores how the choices you make while shooting and arranging photos can dramatically alter the narrative they tell. Whether it's the raw emotion of a moment or a sense of calm in chaos, these decisions shape the stories your images communicate.

Editing photos effectively is all about balancing precision and creativity. Small adjustments can bring out details, enhance colors, and shift the viewer's focus. This helpful video demonstrates how to make impactful edits using basic tools, masking, and color grading, showcasing practical techniques for a polished result.

By removing color, you open up new possibilities for storytelling, emotional depth, and composition. It challenges you to think differently and often leads to a more profound connection between the viewer and the subject.

Creating distinctive images can set you apart. Tools like prisms and gels are often overlooked but can add a dynamic flair to your work. By experimenting with these elements, you can provide clients with unexpected, striking results.

Zone focusing is an essential skill to learn, particularly for street, travel, and documentary photography. Even the latest autofocus technology on new expensive cameras can’t beat this method of getting photos quickly and in perfect focus.

One skill a photographer must develop is determining which elements in a scene have the most potential to draw the viewer’s attention in the final image. Reducing the visual mass of distracting elements is crucial in directing the viewer’s attention. Sometimes, it is a matter of physically moving an object in the composition. Other times, it’s a matter of the photographer moving their position. Using a different focal length can help to emphasize or de-emphasize certain elements.

Adjusting your images to fit specific aspect ratios is crucial for prints, social media, and various digital formats. Photoshop's tools, combined with generative AI, simplify this process by enabling you to expand the image as needed.

Throughout November and December, demand for portrait sessions, product photography, event coverage, and gift-giving surges, presenting photographers with both opportunities and vulnerabilities. Increased business volume, higher-value transactions, and a need for rapid turnaround create conditions ripe for specific types of threats. These threats often come from external malicious actors who exploit holiday chaos.

Flagship cameras are all about pushing limits, and the Sony a1 II builds on its predecessor with subtle but impactful upgrades. From sports to wildlife to weddings, this full frame powerhouse is designed to handle nearly anything.

Standard zoom lenses are the workhorses of many camera bags, balancing focal range with portability. The Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM offers a combination of flexibility and image quality that’s worth considering.

Replacing skies in photos can transform an ordinary image into a striking scene. Whether you’re battling overexposed skies or lackluster lighting, Photoshop’s sky replacement tools provide the flexibility to create dramatic compositions.

Portable flash units that balance power with versatility are valuable tools for creative lighting setups. The Godox AD200Pro II TTL Pocket Flash builds on its predecessor’s success with thoughtful upgrades, including better cooling, enhanced modeling lights, and improved usability.

A social media presence might be essential, but with social media platforms in a state of flux, which is the best one for a photographer to call home? The fast-growing Bluesky platform could be a breath of fresh air for photographers tired of their work being hidden behind a pay-to-play paywall.

Bodyscape photography is a unique way to transform the human form into abstract, artistic expressions. By focusing on contours, lighting, and subtle details, you can create striking images that blend mystery and art with minimal equipment.

I read a quote recently that stated, “Buying a Z8 over a Z9 is a no-brainer.” Er, excuse me, may I add my two cents? Or maybe I should say, allow me to weigh in (you’ll get that pun later)…

Holiday lights and festive displays offer a unique opportunity for creative image-making. Capturing them in busy public spaces, though, can present challenges with crowds and distracting elements. By using advanced techniques like stacking multiple exposures and editing in Photoshop, you can achieve clean, polished results while preserving the vibrancy of the scene.

Capturing authentic moments with couples can be challenging, especially when you’re managing lighting, posing, and making them feel at ease. A few simple adjustments to your technique can help you create beautiful, natural images that resonate.

Photography is more than just capturing visually stunning locations - it's about finding beauty in unexpected places. When you encounter a scene that seems initially unpromising, the real artistry lies in using light, composition, and timing to transform it into something compelling.

Getting patterns to realistically follow the folds and curves of fabric in Photoshop is challenging. Nonetheless, it's possible. This process also allows you to change patterns instantly without starting over.

Vivo has launched its latest flagship smartphones, the X200 and X200 Pro, to the global market. The most notable change is that Vivo has used a smaller camera sensor this year compared to the X100 Pro models.

Imagen, a leading AI-powered platform designed for photographers, has announced its new "Edit to Delivery" feature, simplifying the entire post-production workflow. This latest addition enables photographers to focus more on creativity while reducing time-consuming tasks such as culling, editing, backing up, and now, delivering photos.

As creatives, we rely on our tools not just to keep up with our ideas but to enhance and streamline the creative process. The Huion Kamvas Pro 27 aims to be that kind of tool—a professional pen display that blends cutting-edge technology with thoughtful design catering to professionals across various disciplines. Whether you’re an illustrator sketching intricate designs, a photographer editing your images, or an artist bringing your creations to life, the Kamvas Pro 27 promises to deliver.

Bright sunshine can be a gift to the photographer, creating deep shadows and contrast that accentuate shapes and forms and lend your images a vivid intensity. But the flat, gray light of an overcast day has its own special ambiance and mood that can be a better fit for more contemplative scenes.

I covered the announcement of the latest release of Radiant Photo last month. It looked promising, but reviewers didn't have it in hand to take a deep dive into the software. Now I've had it for a few days and want to share my thoughts and experiences.

If you have been a photographer long enough, you have had a piece of photography gear fail you in the field. Maybe it is a lens that stops focusing, a camera shutter that breaks, or a tripod leg that gets loose—any number of things can potentially impact an outing. Are you prepared for this?

Satellite trails can be a major headache when photographing deep space objects, especially during the winter months when many popular targets are affected. These streaks disrupt the clarity of your images, and understanding how to manage them is key to producing clean, polished astrophotography.

When Adobe updated Lightroom Classic, they introduced a feature called Content Credentials. This tool provides a way to establish ownership of your images and track how edits, including AI tools, were applied. Whether for contests, client work, or personal projects, Content Credentials offer additional transparency and security for your photos.

Distracting elements can take away from the impact of your photos, and cleaning them up is an essential part of editing. Using Lightroom’s tools, you can remove unwanted objects, adjust colors, and refine details, all without needing advanced software like Photoshop.

Join photographer Laura BC as she embarks on a 48-hour photography challenge in Bali, testing the limits of her Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II lens. Known for her creative challenges, Laura takes this single-lens approach to showcase how limiting your gear can unlock new levels of creativity.

Being mostly a studio photographer, I work as much with my camera as I do with the camera trolley. I have an excellent camera, but my trolley was always lacking a bunch of pro features. While investing in a new cart was never an option, upgrading my current one seemed like the way forward. I looked into the LaVa cart system to see if it was able to pimp my cart.

Cityscape photography is a genre that many photographers either embrace or shy away from. Its real-world, unpredictable nature can be both exciting and intimidating. But what happens when a world-class landscape photographer dives into this style—and does so in the bustling streets of New York City? You might be surprised by the results.

Editing is a critical part of landscape photography, letting you shape images into representations of what you saw—or imagined—in the moment. Whether you aim for realistic refinement or experimental creativity, post-processing helps you discover what matters most in your work.

In an era where electronic viewfinders have dominated most mirrorless cameras, it may seem old-fashioned to still use a DSLR camera with an optical viewfinder. Yet, as someone who has spent more than a decade behind the lens, constantly switching between mirrorless and DSLR, I still find myself drawn to the simplicity and authenticity of the optical viewfinder.

Optimizing your workflow can save hours and improve efficiency, whether you're working with hundreds of images or a single project. This helpful video tutorial shares practical tips to help you streamline your editing process and keep your creative focus where it belongs: on your images.

The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II is a highly anticipated update to one of Sony’s most respected portrait lenses. The latest version promises improvements in build, autofocus performance, and image quality, making it worth a closer look.

Capturing stunning portraits doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The TTArtisan AF 75mm f/2 proves that budget-friendly lenses can still deliver sharp images and smooth bokeh, making it a compelling choice for everyday use.