Travel and photography go hand in hand. Who doesn't dream of taking incredible shots to wow your friends and colleagues with when you return from some exotic destination? Unfortunately, there are a few down sides to travel photography that you probably need to be aware of before you go, especially when it comes to traveling in poorer areas.Photo by Tranuf Depending on where you are going, security is going to be an issue. Sure, you are probably (but not always) reasonably safe in your own country or places like New Zealand or Europe. But in a lot of other places, especially in third world countries, the cost of your photography gear is equivalent to a year's wages (or more) for the locals.Discretion is Your FriendIt is quite staggering to see so many people whip out a $1500 camera setup to take snaps in some tourist hell in the third world. Pull your Canon DSLR with a 300mm lens out of your Lowepro backpack and you are going to attract attention! And yes, the thieves will have an opinion on Canon vs. Nikon.Photo by Yan Boechat Now, I am not saying don't take these things, but lets think of a few ways you ...

A lot of the time, people miss a well composed shot simply because they didn't take the time to seek out a slightly better alternative. When you have found a scene worth shooting, don't forget to consider a few ways that you could improve the composition. It's easier than you might think.Photo by Rob Wood Go for a Walk - Often finding a better place to shoot a scene or object from will give you a better alternative for composing the shot. if possible, take a walk around and look at the scene from different areas. Consider which spot gives you the best chance to compose the shot with good composition rules in mind and whether any of those rules are worth breaking. Tilt the Camera - Simply moving the angle of the camera up and down then left and right will show you what you could get. Does the foreground add or detract from the scene? Can you omit distracting elements like tree branches from the edge of the composition? Horizontal or Vertical - Will your shot be better served by holding the camera vertically or horizontally? Don't forget that you can also consider how you might crop the shot while you ...

The Internet is an amazing thing, and we take pride in providing you with content to help you with your passion for photography.  There is however, something to be said about printed material, just like it's a different experience in holding a photographic print compared to looking at it on a monitor.  Magazines offer this same experience, and often in a format that is more easily read over a period of time whereas most Internet articles tend to be under 500 words for easy consumption.  Additionally, photography magazines have some of the best work which can be admired and inspire.  For that reason, here are five great magazines you should be reading.Thomas Shahan's Photos in Popular Photography Magazine Popular Photography is perhaps one of the most comprehensive magazines for gear, technology and everything about cameras and accessories.  Packed full of articles on the latest and greatest, and how to use them, it's an essential magazine for all photographers.B&W, as the name implies, focuses on black and white photography, both analog and digital post-processing. By many, black and white is still the most pure form of photography and the striking range of a quality image can be breathtaking.  It's also worth noting ...

Studio work is nearly the exact opposite from location shooting, especially for portraits.  With location portrait shoots, the focus is easily on the person posing, but the surrounding elements also contribute to the final product.  Also, the studio presents some more challenging lighting situations, as the photographer needs to create the light, rather than modify what the sun is providing.Because studio work alone can be intimidating, adding in people can often make things nerve-racking.  Here are 10 tips for shooting studio portraits that we've found really help.1. Think of shooting in a studio like a bowling ally.Photo By Chuybregts With your model in place, and you directly in front of them, you can only move forward and back.  You cannot move to the left or right, and depending how wide your lighting is, neither can the model.  Rather then take two steps to the left, you will have to ask the model to turn.2. Watch the clockPhoto By Bethan Not for time, but for direction to your model.  It's very easy to confuse and get confused if you ask them to turn right or left, but turning clockwise or counter-clockwise is the same for you and the model.3. Who's right?Photo By TheTruthAbout... While ...

Photographing smoke can often be a tricky endeavor as it can throw up all sorts of weird exposure problems. On the upside, however, it can really be used nicely to enhance the composition of a photograph.These photos all use smoke in some way to enhance the composition of the image. Whether it is to provide a sense of movement, to guide the eye with lines or to provide a atmospheric layering effect, they all effectively use smoke to create a more interesting photo.Photo by EggmanPhoto by Fabiana ZoncaPhoto by Hamed MasoumiPhoto by ShutupyourfacePhoto by www.ericcastro.bizPhoto by Thomas MiorinPhoto by Fanboy30Photo by RammorrisonPhoto by RobbiePhoto by Xava duPhoto by KickiPhoto by Looking4PoetryPhoto by Locator

This is a guest post by New Zealand landscape photographer, Chris Gin. Some of you might recognise images from Chris' Flickr stream that we have used in our collections before.I've been into landscape photography for a couple of years now. It's a fantastic hobby and hugely rewarding, but also has a bit of a learning curve. While I would not consider myself anywhere near a pro at this stage, I've picked up on a few useful things here and there. Below are some tips which I hope others who are just starting out in the world of landscape photography will find useful. Why You Should Research Your LocationsIf you are planning a photography trip then it’s important to do some research beforehand. Use the internet to find as much information as you can about your destination. Try to identify potential places of interest and find out the best times of the year to go – some places are much more photogenic in certain seasons while others look great all year round. Try to avoid peak tourist seasons though, as busy places mean more people to get in the way of your shots. There are some great tools to help you prepare for ...

This is a guest post by New Jersey wedding photographer, Julianne Markow. Check out her photography blog here too.Bokeh is something that makes non photographers say to you “Wow, that is an amazing photograph,” and the professionals tend to agree with them. The definition of bokeh is simply “blur” and comes from the Japanese word boke, meaning “blur quality.”  Bokeh is really just a fancy way of saying that a photograph is aesthetically appealing by having a shallow depth of field.Bokeh must be done right. It is not difficult to set your camera up to do some of the work for you, but if you don’t follow these 5 tips, your results may be less than desirable.Open your lens up wide. This goes without saying. Many DSLR cameras come with a kit lens that varies from f/3.5-5.6, this means that at your shortest zoom level you can set your aperture to f3.5 and as you zoom into the subject, the aperture will change to f5.6. A 2.8 lens or faster is of course desirable, but if this is too much for your pocket to handle, remember a 5.6 kit lens can go a long way if you follow the next ...

If you've ever sat outside on a porch at night in the summer, you've no doubt seen moths come fluttering to the light.  Similar to, but not part of the butterfly family, there are thought to be over 250,000 different types of moths.  From a photography standpoint, moths can be one of the hardest insects to shoot because they are nocturnal.  Shooting time is very limited and either requires the use of a flash or very high ISO.  Because of shooting situations, it's not overly common to see high quality macro shots, so enjoy these macro moth photos.Photo By Martin_HeiganPhoto By Teddy-risedPhoto By Stephen BeginPhoto By David ReecePhoto By play4smeePhoto By TlindenbaumPhoto By Richard.FisherPhoto By PomaxPhoto By AtomicsharkPhoto By blmurchPhoto By FrAnthonyPhoto By Martin_HeiganPhoto By TibchrisPhoto By .Mushi_King

As photographers we love accessories, it's just the nature of the beast. One of the accessories that can often be hard to choose is the right camera bag. Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about camera bags is there isn't just one perfect bag, but rather a perfect bag for any particular situation. In this article we will break down which bags work best in different environments, for different shooting styles so you can choose the right bag no matter what, or, as you may lean, the right bags.Transportation. Transporting your gear for long car rides, on planes or packed in trains requires a little more protection and some more thought. If you are checking your bags, a hard-sided case like those made by Pelican will give you the absolute best protection.Photo By xunil96 Designed to meet military specs for impact resistance and durability, and an interior featuring pick and pluck foam to fit every piece nice and snug, these cases can and will take a beating, and even float should you need them to. The downside to using these cases is they are hard, bulk, can be very heavy to hand carry and with ...

Tripods are wonderful tools in photography but are also one of the most inconvenient pieces to carry around with you.  Since it's not always possible to carry a tripod with you here are five ways to steady your camera without one.Raise the ISO.  Generally speaking, a tripod should be used when your shutter is slower than the focal length of your lens.  Since modern DSLR cameras have amazing high ISO performance, try raising the ISO to get a shutter speed closer to or exceeding your focal distance.Hold your camera close.Photo By dmcopernicus Unlike the photo here, you want to hold your camera in close to your body with your elbows tucked in next to your sides.  Use the viewfinder of the camera, not the live view, so the camera is right in front of your face.  With your feet shoulder width apart, keep your body relaxed and when you breathe out, squeeze the shutter release button.Get your lean on.Photo By Ed Yourdon Find something solid to lean against, a wall, light post, a friend, car, anything solid to help steady your balance.  Utilize the previously mentioned techniques to hold your camera close and breathe.Lay down on the job.Photo By ...