Stock Photography Articles and Tips

I shoot using aperture priority. That means, I set the aperture for the detail/depth of field that I want and let the camera determine the fraction of a second necessary for the correct exposure. It could do this by “reading” the light available in the center of the frame, or by averaging a number of areas in the frame, but I chose the area I want it to evaluate. That’s what spot metering is... Read more»

Landscape photography is perhaps one of the most varied forms of photography, ranging from urban landscapes, through to dramatic mountain scenes and even micro-landscapes; the small scale landscapes of small subjects. The basic rules and principles remain though, whatever the subject. Read more»

Photographing the desert southwest can be tricky. If you follow the basic rules, however, the difference in creating a simple, but elegant photo can be astounding. Read more»

Photographing people can be intimidating. Lighting, posing, which lens to use, where to do it, are all parts of the equation. This basic guide shows gives you a step by step process for creating natural, beautiful pictures of real people. Read more»

Contrary to popular belief stunning nature pictures can be taken when shooting into the light. Whilst this may contradict advice given to beginners to always shoot with the light coming from behind the camera the art of backlighting is a technique that can produce wonderful nature photography. Read more»

Comprehensive basics on photographing the winter landscape - and staying comfortable while you're there. Read more»

Snow reflects back whatever color is in the sky. Here are some thoughts on how to maximize these hues in the final photo. Read more»

Working with light is undoubtedly the key factor in making attractive and striking images. Even the most impressive bird subjects will look dull and uninteresting when photographed in the flat glare of the midday sun. Although our eyes perceive detail in both the brightly lit and shadow areas in bright harsh light, unfortunately photographic film is unable to record these extremes of contrast satisfactorily. Read more»

Although lens vignetting of the unintentional variety is usually unwanted, vignetting can also be used intentionally to create a sort of "spotlight" effect that, if done subtly, draws the viewers eye to the subject of the photograph. It is particularly well suited to portraits. Read more»