Photography Features
How To: Take a nude portrait
The human body is art, and a nude portrait is a great way to capture its details and nuances.
How To: Shoot high speed photographs
Learn how to do high speed photography with Bre Pettis. To do high speed photography correctly, you need to link a strobe to your camera as shown by Mr. Pettis of Make Magazine. Then you can create cool pictures just like him.
How To: Take evenly lit professional high definition photos
You can take high resolution photos with just about any digital SLR, but whether these high resolution photos turn out impressive depends on setting, lighting, and the compliance of your subjects to pose. While photographing your friends and family in everyday life has these aforementioned conditions already set for you, if you take photos in the studio many factors can be adjusted to your liking.
How To: Make a Physiogram & photograph it
The Photo 101 podcast explains how to make Physiograms with a flashlight & photograph it.
How To: Make photo blocks
Gather your piles of photos, it's time to put 'em to use. Forget about simple frames, learn how to put your photos on blocks instead!
News: Move Over, Avatar. I'd Rather Stare at Supermodels in 3D
Fashion Photography goes 3D. And why not? I'm digging it. By Brazilian photographer Jacques Dequeker for the Ellus jeans campaign.
How To: Convert a Super Wide Polaroid camera into a pinhole
Watch this video and learn how to convert a Super Wide Polaroid camera into a pinhole camera. This conversion will also work for super shooter and colorpack cameras. Strip down the camera, "chop" the body and prep to recap for a super wide angle pinhole camera. This project works for cameras that accept 3.25 x 4.25 polaroid and fujifilm instant pack films.
How To: Build your own 35mm lens adapter for a Canon HV20 camera
You don't have to spend lots of money for an expensive lens adapter! You can make one at home. This tutorial shows you how you can take some basic camera equipment, a little extra hardware and make a 35mm lens adapter for a Canon HV20 digital camera.
News: Fold-It-Yourself Pinhole Camera
Easy as 1-2-3... Print, fold and start taking pictures. Free download and instructions for the Czechoslovakian designed Dirkon camera here. The Dirkon uses 35mm film and takes hazy, blurred, highly saturated pictures typical of the pinhole format. Image examples below.
How To: Make a cheap studio light with soft box for under $20
This video shows how to make a studio softbox light for under 20 dollars. It is made with items found around the home or easily acquired. The author takes us through the process in a step by step manner. It starts with a cheap camera tripod upon which a plastic electrical outlet strip is attached using either a screw or strong plastic adhesive. An electrical plug with a light socket attachment is plugged into the strip to allow the light to be attached. A small cooler with a hole cut in the b...
Real Life Cyborg: Man Plans to Implant Camera in the Back of His Head
Professor Wafaa Bilal of New York University plans to soon undergo a surgical procedure that would temporarily implant a camera in the back of his head. The project is being commissioned for an art exhibit at a new museum in Qatar. The Iraqi photographer will be a living, breathing cyborg for an entire year, during which the implanted camera will take still photos every minute, simultaneously feeding the images to monitors at the museum.
How To: Blur water for a dreamy effect
Want to enhance your photography? Check out how to blur water for a dreamy effect in your photographs.
HowTo: Capture Monster Waves on Camera
Waves are like clouds. Perpetually calming, they possess a serene beauty that never grows old. It's no wonder humans capture the planet's daily natural wonders over and over again. Armed with a camera, they just can't resist the classic postcard shot: Sunrise. Sunset. Clouds. Mountains. Beaches. Waves.
How To: Use AV mode & High Speed Sync (flash)
In this tutorial, we learn how to use AV mode & High Speed Sync (flash). First, go to AV mode and change the settings to 2.8. When you do this, your shutter speed will blink at 250. To fix this, hit the lightning bolt with the "h" and change it to the high speed setting. Now, your camera will be able to use the high speed shutter with the flash as well. Now, take some shots of your subject in the sun and you should be able to see a huge difference. The background should come in crystal clear ...
How To: Take a digital SLR timelapse photograph
Timelapse photography is possible with a huge variety of cameras, especially if you're willing to teather them, hook them up to a computer. Connectors, pclix, shutter times, and all sorts of plug-ins will make timelapse pictures relatively simple. Watch this video photography tutorial and learn how to take quality timelapse pictures with you digital SLR camera.
How To: Take an infrared photograph with a DSLR camera
Infrared photos are photos that are taken in such a way that they absorb light from beyond the visual spectrum, giving your pictures a cool, surreal effect. This video will teach you everything you need to know to take them yourself. You'll learn how to determine if you have a camera that will work, get the proper filter, and take the photo. It's pretty quick and easy if you have the right equipment, and looks really, really cool.
How To: Photograph star trails on 35mm film
This is a great tutorial for photographing beautiful star trails on a 35mm SLR camera. Because only film has low enough ASA to shoot for such long exposures, this tutorial unfortunately apply to digital SLR's.
How To: Build a Double-Shoulder Camera Mount for Only $8 Using PVC
Shoulder mounts are great for stability, but they can be pretty pricey. This DIY project by TheJamesTheatre is better in both aspects—it rests on both shoulders for extra stability, and it only costs 8 bucks to make. The frame is made of PVC with foam pieces from a pool noodle for cushion. All you need is a few connectors and the nuts and bolts to put it all together. You can find the full parts list on the About section on YouTube.
How To: Introducing Lights! Camera! Photoshop! – Your Complete Guide to DSLR Photography
So you just bought Photoshop, a DSLR camera and your first flash. Now what? If you have some experience with photography, but you're not completely fluent with the software and equipment, WonderHowTo's newly featured World Lights! Camera! Photoshop! is essential.
How To: Do night photography with your kids
In this video, we learn how to do night photography with your kids. Glow sticks. flash lights, and ghost images are great for night time! First, put your camera in the manual mode and then learn how to set the shutter once you're in manual mode. Put the pop up flash on your camera, then get started taking pictures! Use glow sticks to take pictures of the children, giving a cool effect on the photos. Use different shutter speeds on the camera to capture the sparks on the glow sticks and with s...
News: World's Tiniest Camera Smaller Than a Fingertip
Hello, I'm the world's tiniest camera and yes, I am fully functional. See for yourself. Hopefully Flickr user Dippold (also the generous creator of the Cheapest Camera in the World) will upload more information on these mini lomo pinholes soon.
News: Remarkable Trompe-l'œil Turns Artist into Enemy of State
35-year-old artist from Shandong, China, Liu Bolin, has created a series of photographs entitled "Camouflage". No trick photography employed, no photoshop alterations. Every effect was created by anal, fastidious painting and the exact alignment of subject to background.
How To: Shoot high key portraits with a Lastolite HiLite background
This is a quick and dirty tutorial that gives you some useful tips when you're trying to shoot simple high key portraits. You can accomplish this with just two lights and a Lastlite HiLite background, and here is how it works!
Calling All Entries: The National Geographic 2010 Photo Contest
National Geographic is holding their annual Photo Contest, in the categories of People, Places and Nature. If you're interested in participating, check out the guidelines now. Time is running out- all submissions must be in by November 30th.
How To: Need More Juice from Your DSLR? These 2 Battery Hacks Will Keep the Power On Longer
For most people, the battery life on a DSLR is more than sufficient, but if you want to do a really long exposure or time-lapse, one charge might not last long enough to get the shot you want. You can always connect it to an extension cord to charge while you shoot, but that can be really annoying to work around.
HowTo: Look Like Batman on Fire
Fantastic example of light painting by Mina Mikhael and Matthew Barhoma. You will need:
How To: Create time lapse photography
There are several ways to do time lapse photography, my favorite involves using a digital still camera and a controller. Once the photos are taken, I demonstrate how to to stitch the photos together into a finished movie. You could also use a digital video camera with controlling software to do time lapse.
How To: Give Your Photos a Surreal Effect by Stacking Negatives
Want to add cool effects to your photos without using expensive equipment? Photographer Laina Briedis created these gorgeous shots by stacking 35mm negatives of starry or cloudy skies on top of photos of people to give them a surreal, dreamlike effect. There are a few ways to go about it. Laina explained to PetaPixel that you can do this with or without a darkroom. If you have access to one, you can expose two negatives at the same time by stacking them, or expose them separately onto the sam...
How To: Shoot unique product photography with long exposures
This video shows you how to light a bottle with long exposure in photography. The end result is to have a picture of a bottle with glowing edges with a black background. For starters you set your SLR camera settings to a 30 second manual shutter speed and a f5. 6 set aperture. Put the camera on a tripod for steadiness and set up your subject. For the subject, on a table, place your bottle in front of your chosen drop cloth. It is best to choose a color similar to the bottle. Then you use a li...
How To: Problem solve small product photography techniques
This instructional photography video explains how to problem solve small product issues. Two ways to tackle a particular challenge is through pre-production and the other in post-production. There are many different ways a photographer can approach and deal with a challenge. The more knowledge you have about different methodologies about photography, the better and easier you will be able to solve those problems when they occur.
How To: Use Nikon's metering system for photo cameras
This instructional photography video explains the basics on how to use all three different types of metering systems on Nikon D-SLR photo cameras: 3D Matrix Metering, Center-Weight Metering, and Spot Metering. Watch this tutorial and start taking better, more professional photographs now that you understand how to use the metering system.
News: Gyroscope Steadies Super Duper 3-Vertical-Camera-Rig for Nat Geo
California Redwoods are some of the oldest and tallest trees on Earth, so snapping a single photograph couldn't possibly capture their majestic entirety.
News: Photograph Beams of Light
More science-geek-art: amazing photographs by Alan Jaras. Apparently the images have not been altered in any way (computer generated or color treated) and are true reproductions of light refraction patterns captured on film.
How To: Use a Diana camera shutter release lock
This photography tutorial shows you how to make a better shutter release lock for Diana Plus and vintage Diana cameras. This is helpful for low light situations and long exposures. You can make a replacement shutter release lock with a clothes pin and a file. Have fun taking night photographs with this handy tool.
News: Saliva Inducing Scanwiches
Scanner photography + sandwiches = Scanwiches (simply put: "scans of sandwiches for education and delight"). The web-famous Tumblr is the invention of Jon Chonko, a NYC-based designer at thehappycorp global.
How To: Build a Cheap Ring Light for Your Smartphone with Velcro and an LED Camping Tent Light
When it comes to the quality of a photo, lighting can make or break it. Too much light, and your subject looks washed out. Too little, and you can't even tell what your subject is.
How To: Make a Cheap Light Wand for Dark Photo Shoots Using PVC and Glow Sticks
Taking photos in the dark or in low-light settings can be tricky. Just using your normal flash can make your subject look washed out, but not using it can result in a totally dark photo with no subject at all.
How To: Use a light meter for your photo camera
This cinematography tutorial video provides the basics of working with a photographic light meter as well as how to read the meter. A light and flash meter is nothing expensive. All you need is something that will measure the light and your flash. Most light meters are relatively the same. Metering is a relatively simple process. Just key in the ISO, key in the shuttle speed, push the button, and it gives you the f-stop to use on your professional photo camera.
How To: Load 35mm film in a Holga camera
Watch this video to learn how to load 35mm film in a Holga camera. Also, learn how to unload it in the darkroom. The instructions and visuals are clear and easy to understand.
How To: Make alternative tripods
Chris Bailey of Creativity to Spare gives us a few alternative options for tripods.