Get Inspired: 31 Absolutely Marvelous Photography Links

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It's been another terrific week in the world of photography and Toad Hollow Photography has been searching all corners of the internet for the best links to tutorials, special features, great photography and interesting blogs to share with everyone here.  This week's compendium contains a great selection of articles and images by some of the finest and most gifted artists working today.  We really hope you enjoy checking out these pieces as much as the Toad did himself in bringing this list to you.

Photo by Elea Bank on Unsplash

TUTORIALS

6 Lighting Tutorials from Joe McNally – this post features 6 tutorials from industry leader Joe McNally, all conveniently collected together in 1 place.  Joe takes us through a myriad of artificial light sources and discusses their application.  We get a chance to see Joe in action in the field, and coupled with his terrific tips and tricks and sample photographs everyone is sure to gain some knowledge.

How to Create a Portrait Mask Illusion With Photoshop – this is a highly detailed tutorial taking the reader through the intricate steps of creating something truly unique and special.  All aspects of the image creation are covered in this article, also featuring step-by-step screenshots of each part of the process to ensure a complete workflow.

SPECIAL FEATURES

A Pioneering Heart – Elkington House at Oak Park – over 3 years went into the making of this project, now coming to life on our own blog at Toad Hollow Photography.  This house in the Cowichan Valley forms a very important part of our local history and heritage, and after years of creating connections we finally had a chance to visit and perform a full photography session, both inside and out.  The results are 64 high quality images and an in-depth essay on the history behind it all.

Time-Lapse of Icelandic Landscapes Makes the Most of the Rare Solar Maximum – the colors expressed in nature are truly some of the most incredible things we have the opportunity to see.  In this wonderful time-lapse piece Evosia Studios’ Henry Jun Wah Lee takes us deep into the heart of Iceland where we get to bear witness to the most beautiful, and rare, Aurora Borealis draping the epic landscapes in gorgeous color.

Photo by Anders Jildén on Unsplash

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Lost To Time – Curt Fleenor shares a breathtaking long exposure piece in this post that features a collapsed structure lying in the eddying waters of the ocean.  Curt employs two filters in this complex composition, and discusses briefly the effects they produce in combination to add a terrific element of interest to a shot that can truly stand on its own.

Total Lunar Eclipse – Sean Parker delivers a terrific composite image that features the vibrantly colored red moon of our recent solar eclipse.  This form of presentation adds a great dimension to the image he creates and shares here, making a very special image that is sure to be enjoyed by everyone.

Crater Lake Pano – this breathtaking image features an ice-cold crater lake presented in panoramic format by iharley.  The blue waters in the center of the frame work in harmony with the stark whites from the fresh snow to deliver a wonderful image with a strong underlying winter theme.

lake & castle (10) – Bled | A Cursory Look At The Lake Bled | 1269 years + – Vlado Ferencic, Edvard – Badri Storman and Uroš Demšar share their own unique captures of this incredible location that features old medieval castles and an ancient monastery on an island.  This world-renowned place creates a special feel and mood, one full of history and intrigue that tells a story cast in the passing of countless centuries.

 United Airplane by Dramatic Clouds
United Airplane by Dramatic Clouds by Nan Palmero, on Flickr

O-So-Berry Busy! – as spring begins to unfold out here on the west coast of Canada, with it comes the delicate petals of flowering fruits.  Laurie MacBride shares a wonderful shot of her Indian Plum tree as it comes to life, featuring a lovely vignette of a bloom amongst the green backdrop of the new foliage.

Dream City – the astonishing feats of architectural wonder only found in the modern city of Dubai are explored in this detailed photograph by Arshad P Hamza.  This is an amazing place, the culmination of decades of design and construction, and this shot really conveys the amazing feel of the city skyline perfectly.

Itmann Company Store – Mark Summerfield takes us on an absolutely fascinating trek back into history where he explores a coal-mining community and the architecture of the buildings that supported the people who called this place home.  The grand sandstone structures that comprise the main buildings in town are full of rich details and textures, perfectly captured and shared in this post by Mark.

the funky blue staircase – vibrant colors and hues work in conjunction with strong lines and shapes to deliver a stunning and captivating piece, as created by David Stoddart.  Intricate architectural details combine with the electric blues in this image, making for a picture sure to captivate your imagination.

Superstition Mountains – the dramatic and grand natural formations of this world-famous park are explored by the lens of Anne McKinnell in this post.  A field of wildflowers sits in the foreground of the frame creating an interesting element for the majestic landscapes to be displayed against.

Superstition Mountain Storm – Chris Frailey showcases a black-and-white version of a shot captured in the Superstition Mountains, featuring a very dramatic storm formation as it closes in on the natural rock formations.  The way the clouds appear to be closing in on the majestic towers of rock creates a special mood and feel, perfectly captured and shared here by Chris.

Rain of Light – as the sun begins to rise above a vast and seemingly endless landscape, Marc Adamus is there and ready to capture a truly breathtaking shot.  An elevated perspective gives Marc the ability to share with us all rolling layers of mountains that seem to go on forever.

In the Pink! – absolutely lovely colors and soft details in the flower captured here by Lisa Gordon come to life in this wonderful photograph.  A shallow-depth-of-focus accents the key elements Lisa expresses here, adding a great dimension to this picture.

Grasli's Magic hour – beautiful tones in the fading light of day cast wonderful tones over the ancient architecture of this magical Belgium city.  Gentle rippled reflections of the scene are mirrored back to the viewer in the canal that also creates a perfect leading line into the heart of the frame.

Sunrise, Lake Superior, Minnesota – gorgeous colors in the early morning sky converge with a snowy landscape scene in this great shot by Mark Paulson.  The shoreline of the lake creates a perfect natural leading line in this image, taking the viewer through the picture and out into the distance where the colors in the sky come alive.

 Esplanade Outdoor Theatre
Esplanade Outdoor Theatre by Hub Hayag, on Flickr

Moraines Mood – this oft-photographed spot produces countless image opportunities, expressing a unique feel and mood depending on season and time of day.  Ted Gore captures a breathtaking image of this lake as a brooding set of clouds hangs dramatically overhead with epic beams of light streaming onto the surface of the lake adding so much to the overall feel.

Grace – a terrific portrait of a beautiful black horse with a lady in a bright red dress perched upon it, as created and presented here by Anita Megyesi.  The perfect composition Anita used in creating this shot really brings out the character of the horse, adding a lovely element of interest in how the lady is dressed and composed within the frame to add a touch of artistic tension.

Baltray Ship Wreck – Peter Krocka shares a stunning and dramatic image of the skeletal remains of what once was a sea-going ship.  The long exposure used to capture the shot works in harmony with the glow of the natural light around it to create a truly haunting piece that exhibits wonderful natural artistic tension.

Postbriefkasten – wonderful ornate details adorn this mailbox found in the heart of Rudesheim, Germany.  Len Saltiel’s use of a shallow depth-of-focus in this shot does a great job of isolating the mailbox from it’s backdrop, yet still includes enough detail for contextual purposes.

Once upon a time in Tuscany – beautiful early morning light drapes over a wonderful landscape featuring the inherent beauty of Tuscany.  This terrific shot by Francesco Riccardo Iacomino showcases the rolling hills of the area, creating a canvas that feels like it carries on simply forever.

mountain bluebird . . . – local photographer ƊƦคƓ๏ƝŦlץƊгєคɱʂ88 captures a wonderful composition of a tiny bird perched on a limb.  The wonderful details in the bird really brings out the character of the feathered creature, creating a wonderful image to view and enjoy.

 Jewel Wasp
Jewel Wasp by Johan J.Ingles-Le Nobel, on Flickr

Lighthouse in My Backyard – stunning architectural details convey the terrific character of the resort and lighthouse in this tiny community in Portugal.  The textures and details captured in this shot convey wonderfully the character of the area, creating an alluring image that is sure to beckon everyone for an extended visit.

Silhouette et Architecture – light, shadows, lines and artistic tension all merge in this pair of fabulous black-and-white images created by Mathias Lucas.  Mathias uses compositional techniques to create strong senses of artistic tension in the way the people are included in the photographs included in this post.

Upstairs Downstairs – lines and textures weave in and out of themselves in this great shot posted by Edith Levy.  The great architectural details of the Toronto Centre for the Arts create perfect natural leading lines to guide the viewer through the image and into the heart of the frame where time spent reveals terrific details.

Beauty In The Mundane-My City – Heather Bauer shares a terrific set of images in this post, featuring various elements and aspects of the city she calls home to.  Some of the pieces are in black-and-white, others are in color, and the collection taken in as a whole does a great job of sharing the character of her city.

Motorcycle Mojo – local photographer and friend Kurt Knock captures a great set of photographs featuring a custom motorcycle.  Sharp details in the super-cool bike are accompanied by little vignettes of specific aspects of the custom machine, creating a full story of the bike and its talented builder.

 Pedro
Pedro by Thomas Leuthard, on Flickr

INTERESTING BLOGS

Most photographed places in the world are … – when we think of the most photographed spots in the world many different places come to mind.  This list curated by the folks at CNN reveals that in some cases these sites are not exactly what you’d expect.  Before you click on this link, pack your suitcase and put your travel agent on speed dial.

Lytro refocuses with a new $1,600 camera | Lytro’s New “40-Megaray” Camera Is Nothing Like Their Previous Toy – no matter what your take on this new photography technology that allows you to focus in post-production, this is a technology that continues to capture headlines and be discussed in groups everywhere.  A new offering from the people at Lytro continues this tradition as the company announces a new and upcoming model of camera.

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.

Thank you Laurie, I really hope you’ve enjoyed checking out some of the other links included here! It’s our pleasure to feature your terrific work in this week’s list!!

You bet, Mathias, thank you so much for taking the time to visit and for leaving your great comments here!

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