Photography Features
How To: Repair the write protection on an SD card
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to repair the write protect on an SD card. An SD card is a non-volatile memory card format that is used in portable devices. If the write protect on a SD card is broken, the user cannot record any files onto the card. To fix this, viewers will need a small piece of scotch tape. Put the tape on the notch of the SD card. Do not cover the metal tabs at the back. This video will benefit those viewers who have a SD card and would like to repair the write p...
News: Disposable "CameraMail" Reveals the Inner Workings of the Post Office
What would happen if a working disposable camera were to travel from Massachusetts to Hawaii via first-class mail, with explicit instructions for its handlers to take photographs?
How To: Create an easy and inexpensive seamless white background for photography
Love the look of the seamless white background in some trendy photographs? You don't need to pay for expensive remodeling to your studio - this video explains a very simple and inexpensive technique you can use to achieve this same effect in your low budget studio.
How To: Build a Horizon-Stabilized Camera That Mounts on Your Bike or Motorcycle
There are plenty of ways to mount your camera on your bike, but there's not much you can do about uneven surfaces on the road that cause your videos to end up looking shaky. If you're on a motorcycle, it's even worse because turns force you to lean, which makes your video tilt.
How To: Do a simple, quick light painting with flashlights
Light painting (or light writing) is a relatively new art form combining flashlights and long camera exposures to create amazing still images with designs literally drawn on them in light. This video features an experienced light painter teaching you the basics of the at in only 2 minutes! He covers what you will need, how to use it, and demonstrates the painting of a simple happy face. Now get out there and try it yourself!
News: Everything Is Beautiful Under the Microscope
Below, a selection of images from the Nikon International Small World Photomicrography Competition. The Big Picture reports:
How To: Prepare a photography portfolio presentation
Putting together a print portfolio for your photography? This instructional photography video provides some suggestions on photographic portfolios and how to assemble a portfolio. It is very important to have a good online presence, a nice gallery of your work to show. But there are advantages to having a print portfolio as well.
News: Printer + Paper + Rubberband = Cheapest Camera in the World
Download. Print. Cut. Assemble. Install some 35mm film, and you're good to go. Who knew you could make a camera so cheaply? Well, a pinhole camera, that is.
How To: Create realistic sun rays in Photoshop
Trying to design that perfect beach scene in Photoshop? Master the look of summer with help from this Photoshop lesson. In this video tutorial by Yanik's Photo School, learn how to create realistic sun rays or sunbeams in Photoshop.
How To: Create a Light Painting Vortex Using a DIY Reusable Steel Wool Cage
There's no shortage of uses for steel wool, but the majority of them tend to be on the pyromaniacal side, like DIY fireworks. This trick by Mike Mikkelson is no different—it uses a homemade reusable "wool cage" to create a spinning vortex of light, like in the photo below. You can do this with just a piece of steel wool on a cable, but Michael wanted something he could easily reuse no matter how many shots he took, so he built a small cage to house the steel wool out of chicken wire, a small ...
How To: Test the sharpness of a lens
The resolution, or sharpness, of a lens is vital to creating and reproducing quality photographs. Watch as this video breaks down how to diagnose the sharpness of your SLR lenses.
News: The Iridescent Beauty of Bursting Bubbles Captured with High-Speed Photography
Swiss photographer Fabian Oefner wanted to capture the moment right before a bubble bursts, a feat that required surprisingly little equipment, but a lot of time and patience. The result was well worth it though. Here's a quick before and after: The trick to the color, he says, is lighting the bubbles from all angles. He placed illuminated panels all around and used a high-speed flash. The bubbles were blown through a sugar funnel. The trickiest part, not surprisingly, is capturing the exact ...
News: Paint + Water Looks Like Beautiful H-Bombs
Though photographer Mark Mawson's concept is simple, the results are stunning. In a series entitled Aqueous I and Aqueous II, Mawson took photographs of wet paint dispersed in water. The images evoke jellyfish, or rainbow colored hydrogen bombs. Mawson says:"I had seen lots of ink in water shots and wanted to try something which had more body and which produced more organic forms."
How To: Take pictures of stars without a telescope
This tutorial shows you how to take nice star pictures and star trail pictures with just a camera. This video also provides tips on choosing film, digital processes, and how to take late night photographs of stars in the night sky. You will need a tripod or a way to keep your camera absolutely still for long exposures. You can take photos of stars with a regular 35mm camera using a release cable, or use a digital camera with long exposure settings.
How To: Make an LED ring light for your Canon G10 & G11 camera
This video shows you how to make a simple, DIY ring light for your point and shoot Canon G10 or G11 camera. By using either cool white or warm white LED lights, you can set your white balance presets to daylight or tungsten. Ring lights are incredibly useful in fashion photography for an even, soft light with a striking eye light.
How To: Use a Polaris incident light meter
In this Fine Art video tutorial you will learn how to use a Polaris incident light meter. The meter has a power, mode, ISO control and a multi flash exposure buttons. On the side you have the up / down and the trigger buttons. Power on the light meter. Select the mode, say ambient light and then set the ISO by pressing the ISO button and the up/down button. Now using only the up/down button, set the shutter speed. Then place the meter under your chin to meter the light on your face. Press the...
News: The Birth of Skateboard Culture
Beautiful images from photographer Hugh Holland's recent show at M+B Gallery in L.A., "Locals Only", a portrait of 70s skateboard culture.
How To: Make your own Variable-ND filter with cheap circular polarization filters
Looking for a Variable-ND filter without having to spend $300? There's a way that you can actually make your own for as little as $10-$20 using some cheap circular polarization filters! Instead of getting a picture tutorial, in this video, you will get a fully commentated walkthrough of the process that he uses to remove the lenses and more to create his own filter!
How To: Use Sekonic light meters to balance flash and ambience
In this episode of Digital Photography 1-on-1, host Mark Wallace goes in depth on the subject of light metering and flash balancing. Making use of a Sekonic light meter, Mark shows how to read the light levels in a room, and explains how to interpret those readings in order to adjust flash levels, ISO levels, and alternative light source manipulation. Mark also goes over the important roles that aperture settings and film speeds play when attempting to successfully balance flash and ambient l...
How To: Use the Manfrotto Super Clamp
Did you ever have trouble keeping a steady shot with a camera or camcorder when you didn't have a tripod ready? In this video, Steve from Cameras Brookwood shows you why a Manfrotto Super Clamp might just be the tool for you. A Super Clamp can open up to three inches and attaches any camera weighing up to fifteen kilograms to a post, beam, or table. To use the Super Clamp, open it fully and place it around the object that you want to attach it to. Turn the crank until the Super Clamp is snug,...
News: The Northern Lights Are Even More Spectacular in Time-Lapse
Aurora borealis (or the northern lights) is a naturally occurring, beautiful light display caused by "the collision of charged particles directed by the Earth's magnetic field." Below, an electrifying display of time-lapse footage taken in Tromsø, Norway, by Tor Even Mathisen. Shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
How To: Do photo studio lighting yourself
Create a larger, more sophisticated studio photography lighting setup but still use simple materials
HowTo: Arduino High Speed Photography Trigger
Photography guru Matt Richardson demonstrates how to build your own arduino high speed flash trigger so you can create awesome work like this. Pick up the project code here.
How To: Use the Vivitar 285HV professional camera flash
Got a new Vivitar 285HV and having trouble using the flash? No problem! This video will describe how to use the flash on your new camera and gives some other great tips for new owners! The flash on this camera can be a little different to use than an automatic flash because you have to manually set the settings. Since you can see what the picture looks like if you aren't satisfied you can use the tricks in the video to play around with the flash settings until you get the perfect shot.
How To: Take an HDR photo with a Nikon D50 digital camera
See how to take an HDR photo set (three photos, each with different exposures) using a Nikon D50 digital SLR camera. This how-to video includes a walk through of the settings you should use to take the high dynamic range imaging photo. It pretty much works the same on most digital SLR cameras, so pay attention to this video tutorial.
How To: Make a cool lampshade using a panorama photo
If you've taken some great looking panorama shots, but have no idea what to do with them, this tutorial may have something in mind. In this tutorial, you'll be finding out how to take a cool looking panorama and trasnfer it onto a lamp shade. It will not only give use to your photo, but add an interesting piece of furniture to your home as well.
News: Once Again, China Operates as if It's Another Planet
I thought American bicycle couriers were tough. Until I saw these poor Chinese workers carrying literally truckloads of cargo on the back of their bikes. Photographs of Shanghai bicycle carriers by Alain Delorme:
How To: Make a polaroid pinhole camera
Interested in making a pinhole camera out of an old polaroid packfilm camera? This will give you instant pinhole photos rather than waiting for a lab to process the film.
News: AMAZING What You Can Capture With a Macro Lens!
Photographer Suren Manvelyan presents an incredible series of macro photographs of eyes, entitled: "Your Beautiful Eyes".
How To: Convert a polaroid super shooter into a pinhole camera
Watch this two part video series to learn how to convert a polaroid super shooter or colorpack camera into a pinhole camera. This video demonstrates how to strip the camera down and make a tripod mount. This is for the 3.25x4.25 pack film cameras: Polaroid 667, 672, 664, 690 and Fuji film FP-100, FP-3000 instant films. The 80 series/square shooters will not work. To determine if your camera will work, measure lengthwise across the back. 17 cm will work, 15 cm will not.
How To: Use an old flash on a new digital camera
Old camera equipment like flashes and lenses are often praised by modern photographers, but getting them integrated into new digital photography setups can be a challenge. This video will show you some tips for using old flashes with new digital cameras, including a great trick for making your digital camera recognize the flash by covering one specific contact. Don't get a new flash, use an old one with the skills you learn in this video.
How To: Use a Video Projector for Long-Exposure Light Painting in the Snow
There's no shortage of techniques when it comes to light painting—you can use LEDs, flashlights, or even make your own light painting nunchuks. If you want to do something a little different, though, why not use a projector like photographer Brian Maffit did to capture these gorgeous long-exposure shots of a recent snow storm? Maffitt used a projector to play the movie The Lorax onto a tree in his backyard, providing the backdrop for these photos. The long exposure shots were taken using an o...
News: Would You Surgically Implant a Camera in Your Skull?
UPDATE: New York University photography professor Wafaa Bilal talked the talk, and now he's walked the walk with his recent camera implant. And guess what? It hurt. What a surprise.
Light Painting with Fire: How to Capture the Perfect, Most Badass Wall of Flames Photo
You may remember this badass wall of flames photo... That's because last month I highlighted a tutorial by photographer Barry Elder that showed how to light paint with fire.
Photo of the Day: Meanwhile, in Afghanistan...
From Boston.com's The Big Picture, what a real-life version of the Green Hornet's gas gun might look like. Taken in Afghanistan in February of this year, an Afghan army recruit is pictured shrouded in a cloud of shocking green smoke as he participates in a graduation parade after an oath ceremony at Ghazi military training center—an American effort to strengthen Afghan forces so they can fight against Taliban strongholds.
How To: Light a portrait for photography
Portraits come in all shapes and sizes, but follow a few basic guidelines and you'll set the scene for a beautiful and professional shot.
News: Video Games vs. Real Life
Alex Lewis imagines what the world would look like infiltrated by video game characters in his digital montage series “Video Games vs. Real Life”. (P.S. If you like what you see, check out Lewis' t-shirt designs at Threadless).
News: Microsoft Kinect Has Never Been So Alluring
Think beautiful bokeh photography + just a hint of TRON sensuality and you have photographer Audrey Penven's lovely series entitled "Dancing with Invisible Light: A series of interactions with Kinect's infrared structured light".
News: Star Trails Captured in Time Lapse
YouTube user Nachtwolke captures beautiful star trails with 1262 photos taken at 30-second exposures.
How To: Photograph a nude woman
Learn how to photograph the beauty of the female form. We will show some of the things you will need to know to take great, tasteful shots of the female nude…from finding models, to posing, composition, and lighting. Photograph a nude woman.