The five biggest composition mistakes that hinder your work

If you’ve clicked on this article, chances are you’re still getting a grip on composition and its role in taking great photos. You’re also most likely already familiar with techniques like the Rule of Thirds, symmetry and leading lines. While it’s important to learn and practice these techniques, it also pays to know what you […]

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2020: A year in pictures

National Geographic highlights 10 of the most unforgettable images from its recent Year in Pictures issue. The piece includes stunning scenes from Black Lives Matters protests, the COVID-19 pandemic, California wildfires and more.

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The best of 2020: Cameras, lenses, software, accessories and more

Oh what a year it has been. While most of us would rather forget a lot about 2020, we wanted to look back on some of the best that the year had to offer. We asked our team to vote for some of their favorites, and to also look forward to the future. Here’s what […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photography/the-best-of-2020-cameras-lenses-software-accessories-and-more/

Portrait Tips: Reminders about taking photos in snow

Ya know, if my back wasn’t seized in pain from shoveling snow, it would have been a great day to make portraits in the snow ;) A fresh blanket of white has a lot to offer a portraitist like yourself. Who doesn’t look adorable bundled in warm clothes with naturally rosy cheeks? Plus, the backdrop […]

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How I rediscover my archives thanks to AI search

I’m sure you keyword every image you take, right? If you’re anything like me, that’s hardly the case. I’ve never once keyworded an image. In fact, I’m lucky if I remember to put my photos in the correct folder on my Drobo. So when it comes to dig through my archives to find a specific […]

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Get perfect exposure, color and detail in LuminarAI

Thanks to EnhanceAI, you can get perfect exposure, color and detail easier than ever in the new LuminarAI. Photofocus publisher Rich Harrington shows you how to get things done. Save on LuminarAI and get our free Boot Camp video course to help get you started!

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source https://photofocus.com/software/get-perfect-exposure-color-and-detail-in-luminarai/

2020: An unusual year in review

As we come to the end of this unusual year I thought it would be interesting and a good exercise to do a bit of a review of 2020. The biggest challenge for many of us was no traveling, in some cases not even locally. So what did you do to fill your time? Did […]

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source https://photofocus.com/inspiration/2020-an-unusual-year-in-review/

How to keep models warm while photographing outside, part two

If you haven’t checked out part one, click here. Best practices and breaks Several strategies can be used when performing photoshoots outside. This includes both technical advice and techniques for making the session more comfortable. Some of these may seem too evident, but most people tend to forget them. Keep them warm Knowing that it […]

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Huge New Year’s savings from Skylum, Excire and Xpozer prints

This morning, a few of our partners announced some huge deals to ring in the new year! LuminarAI creative bundles From today through the morning of January 1, 2020, you can save on two LuminarAI bundles: Festive Bundle for $119: LuminarAI (1 seat), Winter Wonderland templates pack, Aurora HDR Fireworks Bundle for $158: LuminarAI (2 […]

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Quick tips for cute and cozy winter portraits

Getting ready to shoot this year’s winter portraits? Shooting in this season has its own challenges (the biting cold isn’t fun, for one!), but each year gives us an opportunity to get creative with it. I’m sure many of you are looking for ideas to make the most out of shooting in the frosty season. […]

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The XF 8-16mm has me rethinking Fuji cameras for my professional work

I admit it. In the digital era, I was born and raised on the “idiot dial.” Essentially the “idiot dial” is the knob you turn to put your camera into it’s various modes — Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Program and Manual mode. If you’ve ever used a Fuji camera, the “idiot dial” goes out the […]

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source https://photofocus.com/reviews/the-xf-8-16mm-has-me-rethinking-fuji-cameras-for-my-professional-work/

Poignant conceptual photography explores connection with strangers

Ever thought about connecting with strangers in a unique way and documenting the experience in an equally unique project? You’ll most likely pick up some ideas from today’s featured conceptual photography from Budapest-based Marietta Varga. Creating the series saw her navigating through conflicting feelings and the myriad of thoughts that come from getting to know […]

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Mobile Mondays: Speed up your mobile editing with DIY Lightroom presets

Creating your own presets in Lightroom is a great way to speed up your mobile editing and achieve a consistent look to your mobile phone photos that will set your social media feed apart. Knowing how to create and use presets is an essential skill that will dramatically speed up your editing. Preset packs are […]

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source https://photofocus.com/software/mobile/mobile-mondays-speed-up-your-mobile-editing-with-diy-lightroom-presets/

Photography 101: Manual vs. Aperture Priority

So which should you use? Sure there are other modes on your camera, but the most common and often used seems to be Manual or Aperture Priority. As someone who has ALWAYS touted Manual, Manual, Manual, I must admit … these days I find myself shooting more and more in Aperture Priority (AP). And here […]

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A portrait of Christmas trees in the afterglow of the holidays

It’s the Christmas season once more, which means most of us are getting busy decking our places to get into that cheery holiday spirit. Shopping lists are being written. Delivery schedules for gifts are being planned out. However, there’s another side to this season that hardly crosses our minds during the festivities: the fleeting nature […]

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How to use nostalgia effectively in photography

“Nostalgia is powerful, and it can trigger memories and feelings,” said London-based photographer Jamie Windsor, in his video above. I’m sure we can all agree to that. After all, there are so many poignant photography projects out there that can attest to this. The continuing film photography resurgence also remains a firm evidence. However, he […]

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source https://photofocus.com/inspiration/how-to-use-nostalgia-effectively-in-photography/

Weekly Wrap-Up: December 20-26, 2020

We hope you are having a wonderful holiday! This week, Kevin Ames kicked things off with an interview with Catalina Bloch from MDRN Photobooth to talk about how she’s thought outside the box when it comes to printing at events. Then, Sara Kempner told us how she gets uses Instagram Saves to get inspired and […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photofocus-com/weekly-wrap-up-december-20-26-2020/

You got your very first camera; what do you need to learn?

Welcome to the world of photography, and congratulations on your first camera! Here are a few tips to help you get started. I know the first thing many will tell you to do is to read the manual. Well, I’m not going to do that because I have to admit, I’ve never read mine. Keep […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photography/you-got-your-very-first-camera-what-do-you-need-to-learn/

Merry Christmas from all of us at Photofocus!

From our Photofocus family to yours, we wish you a very, merry Christmas. We hope you will spend time to enjoy the holiday season safely with your loved ones. And of course, with a camera in hand! Don’t forget to share your favorite holiday photos with us! To help get you started on your Christmas […]

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Shooting beautiful family portraits for the holidays

For many of us, family portraits are part of celebrating the holidays. Some prefer to do it ahead of time so they can have it printed as Christmas cards to send out to friends and family. Others do both indoor and outdoor shoots, especially if their locations are perfect for a Winter Wonderland-themed set. Whichever […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photography/shooting-beautiful-family-portraits-for-the-holidays/

Tips for capturing images with a DIY bokeh modifier

Once you’ve used my tutorial to make yourself a handy bokeh modifier, it’s time to start shooting. All you have to do to get started is cover the lens with the modifier, position your subject in front of some twinkly lights, focus and shoot. Here’s some tips to start your experimentation. Go manual First of […]

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source https://photofocus.com/celebrate-the-holidays/tips-for-shooting-with-a-diy-bokeh-modifier/

Behind the image: Neo and I

Each December, I make my family calendars with some of my images from the previous year as a Christmas gift. It’s no surprise to any of them, but they look forward to them each year and it’s become one of our Christmas traditions. Creating the calendars also gives me the chance to go through my […]

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Portrait Tips: Holiday portrait tips from a Texas hog hunt

Right before Thanksgiving, I was lucky to be invited to hunt with friends in southern Texas. This was a new opportunity for me, and I was excited. One unique thing about this hunt was that it would be during the night on a private ranch. Of course, I was planning to photograph and film it. […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-holiday-portrait-tips-from-a-texas-hog-hunt/

Share your holiday with Photofocus

The holidays are such a magical time of year for so many, and even though it may be a bit different this year, we’d love to see how you’re celebrating. Were you able to get some photos of Santa and the kids? Maybe you’ve got some great action shots of everyone opening presents? How about […]

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Capturing long distance friendship with wet plate photography

Austrian wet plate artist Markus Hofstaetter is one of those creative minds who I can trust to come up with something crazy or unexpected, then outdo themselves each time. Last time I talked about his work, it was about how he used the infrared and UV light spectrums to achieve a visual representation of division. […]

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source https://photofocus.com/inspiration/capturing-long-distance-friendship-with-wet-plate-photography/

The Christmas Star: The conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on the shortest day of the year

The winter solstice brings many things. Celebrations, holidays, the longest night of the year, rebirth, and much more. On December 21, 2020, it also brought the “The Christmas Star,” what people called the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. The two planets were separated by just six arc minutes, equal to about one-fifth the apparent […]

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source https://photofocus.com/celebrate-the-holidays/the-christmas-star-the-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn-on-the-shortest-day-of-the-year/

Capture One’s new Speed Edit helps speed up your workflow

We’ve all been there. Our client is begging us to turn around photos in no time flat, without giving us a chance to breathe after our photoshoot. The good news is, today’s tools have made it easier to edit and deliver photos quicker than ever before. And with Capture One 21, it’s even faster, thanks […]

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source https://photofocus.com/software/capture-ones-new-speed-edit-helps-speed-up-your-workflow/

Dreaming of a winter wonderland in Swedish Lapland

I’m sure that a lot of us are missing traveling to postcard-perfect places during the holidays, especially winter locations that are fitting for the season. However, with travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 still ongoing across the globe, most of us won’t be going to any of these destination anytime soon. Still, we can still […]

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source https://photofocus.com/inspiration/dreaming-of-a-winter-wonderland-in-swedish-lapland/

Adobe releases beta for Apple Silicon support on Premiere Pro, Rush and Audition

Following Adobe’s release of an Apple Silicon-supported Lightroom application earlier this month, the company has announced new beta builds for Premiere Pro, Premiere Rush and Audition, that have native support for Apple’s new chipset. Available as a public beta through the Creative Cloud app, the new Apple Silicon platform offers improved performance and greater energy […]

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source https://photofocus.com/news/adobe-releases-beta-for-apple-silicon-support-on-premiere-pro-rush-and-audition/

Evening out audio with the Compressor effect

Many times you are given an audio track with an uneven volume. This happens a lot with webinar recordings, when speakers turn their heads and vary the distance between themselves and their microphone. To fix this, simply use normalization and compression in your audio software. My short video tutorial demonstrates this in Adobe Audition. After […]

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source https://photofocus.com/software/evening-out-audio-with-the-compressor-effect/

Using Templates with Luminar AI

New to LuminarAI? Jumpstart your editing with Template and artificial intelligence. Photofocus publisher Rich Harrington shows you how to get things done. Save on LuminarAI through December 26, 2020, and get our free LuminarAI Boot Camp video course!

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source https://photofocus.com/software/using-templates-with-luminar-ai/

How we can be inspired by different genres of photography and art

I’m a night photographer. Maybe you photograph weddings. Or portraits. Or sports. Or photojournalism. Babies. Landscape. Travel. But I know that you and I can be inspired by photographer’s approaches to lighting and composition and emotional impact too. Inspiring images seep into us, take hold, and never let go. So even though when I saw […]

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source https://photofocus.com/inspiration/how-we-can-be-inspired-by-different-genres-of-photography-and-art/

How to keep models warm while photographing outside, part one

Many photoshoots take place inside or in a studio, but occasionally an outside shoot is required. So, how do we keep our models, crew and cameras warm and comfortable when heading outside? Why you should photograph outside The world around us provides some of the best backdrops and stages for taking amazing photos. Making use […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photography/how-to-keep-models-warm-while-photographing-outside-part-one/

Those amazing lights: Bokeh for the holidays

Holiday lights are such a huge part of what we associate with the holidays. And it’s easy to accentuate them with a little bokeh, or purposeful blur. I took these photos within a few minutes of each other around the house. I did all these handheld, purposely throwing much of the image out of focus […]

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source https://photofocus.com/celebrate-the-holidays/bokeh-for-the-holidays-those-amazing-lights/

Save on LuminarAI, Aurora HDR and the Winter Wonderland template pack from Skylum!

Skylum has announced three great holiday deals starting today through December 26, 2020! Plus, when you get LuminarAI through Photofocus, you can get a free copy of our LuminarAI Boot Camp video course. Just fill out the form below. New customer savings New customers can save on LuminarAI, the first image editor fully powered by […]

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source https://photofocus.com/software/save-on-luminarai-aurora-hdr-and-the-holiday-template-pack-from-skylum/

Mobile Mondays: Getting inspired from Instagram Saves

Launched in mid 2017, Instagram Saves allows you to save other people’s posts within your account. Alternatively, people can also save your posts. You may have noticed the little bookmark icon underneath every posted image or video clip. Hitting this icon saves the post to a personal library that you can access at any time. […]

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source https://photofocus.com/software/mobile-mondays-getting-inspired-from-instagram-saves/

Cinematic photography heightens suspense in narratives

If you want your photography to be story-driven, adapting a cinematic style will most likely help you nail the job. It allows several elements to come together to evoke the mood and feel of movie stills. The latest addition on our list of impressive cinematic photography projects is definitely a great example. In his personal […]

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source https://photofocus.com/inspiration/cinematic-photography-heightens-suspense-in-narratives/

MDRN Photobooth is an event success

MDRN Photobooth Company is a super-successful event photography group based in Ottawa, Canada. Using DNP printers they provide not only memories for events for attendees, but also branding for event sponsors by printing lanyards.  Event lanyards The lanyards included the attendee’s photo and their schedule. Catalina Bloch, MDRN’s creative director, explained. “One of the big […]

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source https://photofocus.com/business/mdrn-photobooth-is-an-event-success/

Exploring raw emotions in gritty black and white photography

Black and white photography is known for drawing our attention to composition and adding drama to a scene or story. This makes it one of the go-to visual styles for those who want to explore or heighten emotive themes and topics. Today’s featured photographer, Katarina Galić from Bosnia and Herzegovina, is one of them, and […]

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source https://photofocus.com/inspiration/exploring-raw-emotions-in-gritty-black-and-white-photography/

What’s the best full-frame stills camera?

With the Canon EOS R5 released this year, there’s been a lot of comparisons made between Canon and Sony, in terms of the future of mirrorless. In the video above from The Slanted Lens, Jay P. Morgan and Kenneth Merrill work with Bonnie Genevieve to answer the question, which is the best full-frame stills camera? […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photography/whats-the-best-full-frame-stills-camera/

On Photography: Stephen Wilkes, 1957-present

“For two weeks after shooting the first group of pictures of Ellis, I was obsessed. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t erase the buildings from my mind. So I went back, many times, every chance I could. What began as a one-hour editorial assignment became a five-year passion.” -Stephen Wilkes Ellis Island: One-day assignment Photographer Steven […]

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source https://photofocus.com/inspiration/on-photography-stephen-wilkes-1957-present/

Weekly Wrap-Up: December 13-19, 2020

This week, Michèle Grenier taught us how to remove redness from cheeks and noses in the new LuminarAI, while Julie Powell presented some great tips on capturing the holiday spirit through food photography. Sara Kempner walked us through how to expose for the snow, while Jemma Pollari taught us how to make a DIY lens […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photofocus-com/weekly-wrap-up-december-13-19-2020/

Holiday photography tips for capturing the season’s cheer

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and despite the strange times we live in now, we just can’t miss shooting the best we can make out of it. With Christmas just around the corner, we’re sure you have those bright lights and shiny ornaments ready for capturing the joy of the season. While […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photofocus-com/holiday-photography-tips-for-capturing-the-seasons-cheer/

Adobe features holiday food photo tips from Sarah Crawford, with free presets

Adobe has teamed up with Sarah Crawford of Broma Bakery, to present a series of tips for food photographers this holiday season. Sarah also developed a series of Lightroom presets that you can download for free! 1. Style your food to set the scene Sarah says that styling your food is an important way to […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photography/adobe-features-holiday-tips-from-food-photographer-sarah-crawford/

Creative self-portraits reflect the surreal worlds of the soul

I find creative self-portraits to be incredibly tricky to pull off. By that, I mean photos that go beyond the vain, clout-driven selfies that flood social media. I’ve always been impressed with photographers who manage to transform themselves into different characters to tell thought-provoking stories. It’s one thing to use portraiture to build a narrative, […]

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source https://photofocus.com/inspiration/creative-self-portraits-reflect-the-surreal-worlds-of-the-soul/

Bounce with me: An After Effects expression tutorial

The bounce expression is convenient for adding a bouncing motion to layer parameters. The roots of this expression derive from Dan Ebberts. I like to apply this expression to add realistic inertial movement. I use sliders to control the amplitude, frequency and decay variables in the expression. Amplitude is the amount of bounce. Frequency is […]

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source https://photofocus.com/software/tutorials-software/bounce-with-me-an-after-effects-expression-tutorial/

Give your bokeh Christmas flair with this DIY lens filter

Feeling crafty? This easy lens modifier is a fun one for the holidays and only takes a few minutes to prepare. Bonus: Your kids will love it! I love shooting wide open to capture beautiful bokeh behind my subject: The blurry, out of focus blobs that are characteristic of wide apertures. Bokeh take on the […]

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source https://photofocus.com/celebrate-the-holidays/give-your-bokeh-christmas-flair-with-this-diy-lens-filter/

An introduction to Adobe Dimension with Christmas balls!

The amazing Adobe Dimension is great for artists to make mock-up, for photographers to add object and here, to get in the Christmas spirit by making some baubles (or ornaments). I’m planning some assets for a socially distanced holiday season and this could be added to other bits and bobs. On opening, Dimension can look […]

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source https://photofocus.com/software/an-introduction-to-adobe-dimension-with-christmas-balls/

BenQ announces new 34-inch ultrawide monitor

BenQ has announced a new 34-inch ultrawide monitor, perfect for creative professionals. The PD3420Q 21:9 Professional Display delivers BenQ’s AQCOLOR technology in a display that offers 33% extra horizontal surface with a higher PPI density. “PD3420Q is the most comprehensive display for graphic designers, web designers, artists, and creatives,” said Houston Wei, director of BenQ […]

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source https://photofocus.com/news/benq-announces-34-inch-ultrawide-monitor/

Amazing Photography: This is why Xpozer

You like to click with your subject, Your camera snapping up what you want to remember, Turning moments into timeless images to share with family and friends. You breathe photography, Just like us. Why we created Xpozer We created Xpozer because we needed a solution to a photo predicament. Clemens wanted to give a big […]

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source https://photofocus.com/photography/amazing-photography-this-is-why-xpozer/