30 Links to Gorgeous Photos and Informative Articles from Around the Web

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As a new week passes, Toad Hollow Photography has been actively searching all over the internet for links to the best tutorials, special features and great photography to share here with everyone.  This weeks list features articles and images posted by some of the best artists working in the field contemporarily, and we hope you enjoy checking out these links as much as the Toad did himself in bringing this list to you.

Kakaoteiche Sunset Baumensamble
Photo by gravitat-OFF

Tutorials

90 minutes on 10 Tips For Optimizing Photos in Lightroom – this extensive and detailed video tutorial takes you through 10 procedures that you can apply to your post-production in Lightroom guaranteed to take your photos to the next level.  10 basic precepts are covered in this presentation, making it a comprehensive piece full of great tips and tricks.

Be a Purposeful, Confident Photographer on Social Media – this is a terrific article, one I completely agree with.  Having a presence on social media is a must in today’s age, and how we conduct ourselves online directly translates into how we appear to the masses out there.  This article discusses how to most effectively manage your online presence in a way that is beneficial to your overall image.

Evan Rich: Being a Fly on the Wall Wedding Photographer – there are so many different ways on how to photograph weddings, and in this article Evan Rich is interviewed in this post as he discusses his journalistic style.  Evan goes into terrific detail in the discussions as he shares insights and processes that can be easily applied to your practice.

Use This Lightroom ‘Secret Slider’ Trick for Extreme Shadow Recovery – this quick tip reveals a very powerful algorithm for post-processing that was recently replaced by the folks at Lightroom.  This 5 minute video tutorial shows you this method, as well as showcases the effect it has during the post-processing phase by sharing pictures during development.

Special Features

Leonard Nimoy’s Passion for Photography – the recent passing of a legend in our times, Leonard Nimoy, has left a void that will be hard to fill.  He was famously known for his work in the Star Trek series, being a pivotal character in the show, but his work in photography was just as profound, even if it was lesser known.  Check out this great article on his background and practice in this field that we all love.

This Flow Motion Video Will Blow Your Mind. Guaranteed. – some people’s work is so astounding you simply have no idea how it’s done.  This is one such piece.  As advertised it’s guaranteed to blow your mind.

The 2015 Sony World Photography Awards – prepare to be utterly immersed in the effects that astounding photography can have on a viewer as we enjoy a selection of 20 images from the awards.  Some of the pictures are profound, revealing a harsh look at mankind and the world that surrounds us, while others reveal the wonder of the world we all live in.

21 Glorious Vintage Photos Of Kids Having Fun Before The Internet – wait, what?  There was a time with no internet??….  This is a super fun post showcasing a selection of black-and-whites depicting kids having fun out of doors.

Polar ice loss ‘painful to see' for photographer Camille Seaman – a photographer embarks on a special mission, one that appears to be a one-way street with no way back out under the current situation we find the world in.  This profound project, and the photographs that are a result of the work, are important on many levels, revealing a glimpse into a part of the world that is slowly eroding and likely to disappear.  Perhaps even in our own lifetime.

...Catch of the Day...
Photo by Thomas Leuthard

Great Photography

A Misty Night at the Hong Kong Light Show – Light Stalking’s very own Jason Row shares a terrific shot of the Hong Kong harbor at night, veiled in a thin mist to add a wonderful mood and feel to the scene.  A light show streams laser beams across the night sky, accenting the dramatic architecture that hosts a vibrant and lively city in the streets below.

School House #18 – this wonderful heritage study takes a look at a historic schoolhouse that was originally built in 1887.  Mark Summerfield’s shots reveals wonderful details in the architecture, as well as a view of the surroundings that add a lot of character to the composition.

Corfe Castle – the ruins of an epic castle from the 11th century is featured in this spectacular image from the studio of Barry Turner.  The remains of the once glorious bastion cast terrific shadows in this composition, enhancing the strong sense of raw drama the scene reveals in a glance.

Dimitrios in mono – this stunning black-and-white piece was shot using a long exposure technique, turning the active waters into a silky smooth covering for a landscape that also features a very dramatic shipwreck.  This dark photo from Dimitris Bartzis showcases the true power of monochromatic processing for certain scenes, and how the overall feel of these pieces accents the inherent artistic tension within the frame.

Zebras at the Watering Hole – Anne McKinnell has been on safari, visiting exciting locations and taking in the wonderful natural landscapes and creatures of the area.  In this terrific shot she shares a large group of Zebra’s as they drink at a large watering hole.  The deep contrasts in the black-and-white coats of the Zebra’s create quite the patterns, and Anne’s wonderful post-processing highlights this aspect of the scene perfectly.

Church of the Good Shepherd – my love of these old stone churches is boundless, many of them revealing glimpses into the storied past that brought them to this point in time.  Patrick Marson Ong captures a great rendition of one of the worlds most famous stone churches on the side of the shore of a lake in New Zealand.

Perpetual Light – Timothy Poulton captures a breathtaking shot of the same church featured above, the old stone church on the shores of a lake in New Zealand.  This panoramic representation features the wonderful details in the stonework under a vibrantly colored sky in the early morning.

Day 2 in Iceland – Brian Matiash’s expedition to Iceland is paying dividends in some of the photographs we are seeing on his blog from the trip.  In this photo, we get a chance to see some drifting icebergs against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, revealing a truly breathtaking landscape that can only be found in this area.

Portrait de face mouche Profil
Photo by Mickaël

The Barn – this world-famous landmark is of an original wood barn sitting under the watchful gaze of the majestic Grand Teton mountain range in the backdrop.  Laura Bartholomew captures a stunning shot of this site that features the early morning light as it just begins to awake and paint the landscape in delicate colors, revealing wonderful details.

Golden reflection – Dave Wares captures a terrific shot of an old stone built castle sitting behind a body of water.  The wonderful reflection from the dramatic architecture is perfectly reflected back, along with the golden hues of nature’s palette, in a shot sure to please those with a penchant for castles.

Serene Waterfall – this is most definitely one of those shots that reveals more to the viewer as you spend time observing the fine details.  Chris Burkard delivers this piece that delivers a stunning waterfall as it cascades over a cliff into the open ocean, and if you pay note to the landscape you will find a deeper treasure hidden in the scale and context of the scene.

Blue Morning – Glacier National Park, Montana – a gorgeous landscape is gently revealed in this shot captured by Len Saltiel and shared on his blog.  Hoping to capture a scene taken during the golden hour, Len arrives at the location only to find an overcast scene that serendipitously casts wonderful blue hues that can only be found in nature.

∆ SharkTrek (bw) ∆ – this is both creepy and highly dramatic, featuring a school of Hammerhead sharks swimming about in murky grey waters.  Thomas Conrad’s shot is sure to delight and amaze, at the same time it leaves you seeking with your free hand for the solid assurance of land.

Toronto Refracted – macro photography is in a realm all its own, and in this post Edith Levy shows us just why.  Her latest post in the field of macro features a water drop refracting a picture of a map of the city of Toronto in the miniscule droplet; a really fascinating piece that she promises to reveal how she created it in a later post.

Snowy Owl Female – this spectacular piece showcases the stunning beauty and elegance of the Snowy Owl in her natural habitat.  Don Hamilton Jr.’s shot appears to capture a posed portrait of this wonderful bird, revealing it’s wonderful personality along with incredible details that can only be seen when these creatures are captured through the magic of photography.

Niagara Falls – Winter of 2015 – a once in a lifetime happening provides the perfect subject matter for photography, in this case the frozen waterfalls at Niagara.  Jimi Jones and his wife visited the world-famous falls this winter right in the middle of the winter season when the falls were mostly frozen solid, an event that happens very rarely, to capture a set of stunning shots that reveal the harsh presence of nature.

Post holi portraiture
Photo by Soumyadeep Paul

Swept Away – this natural abstract piece comes to us from Kristina Wilson as she does a wonderful job of capturing the raw essence of the world-renowned Antelope Canyons.  Beautiful colors and tones play off the sharp edges of the landscape, creating a strong abstract piece that can only be the result of nature’s finest work.

Hoppy Monday – for those who love artisan products, a visit to a craft beer distiller is high on the list of things that must be seen.  In this post, Michael Criswell takes us on one such tour, visiting the outside and inside of a brand new craft brewery that is full of wonderful details and features, sure to wet the appetite of beer lovers from around the world.

All That You Might Overlook – Stone Mill Lawrence MA – a high contrast piece that leaves so much to the imagination as you try to peer into the deep shadows to learn about what resides there.  Mark Garbowski’s black-and-white capture of the inside space of the non-operational mill reveals wonderful artistic tension and terrific textures and details of a space that once was teeming with life and activity.

Surprise! – epic character and spirit comes to life on our screens and monitors in this wonderful photograph by John Gooday.  John finds a Great Grey Owl as it peers out from behind the pine trees that it calls home to, staring straight at the camera and seeming almost as surprised to see John as he was to capture this terrific portrait.

Need a Little Spring??? – with the abundant and harsh winter that seems to have gripped much of North America this year, a chance to take in a beautiful flower is a much needed break from the frigid environs.  In this shot Lisa Gordon shares a delicate flower that features an almost watercolor palette of tones and hues, with lovely details to add the finishing touch.

About Author

I am a fine arts photographer that specializes in HDR techniques. Please feel free to visit our Limited Edition Prints site, our Online Gallery or our lively Photoblog.

All my pleasure to be sure, Lisa! Thanks for your kind visit and comments here today, we really appreciate you taking the time!!

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