We have covered before some important elements of landscape composition such as the s curve and rule of thirds and how sometimes it's even ok to go outside these "rules." Well, we thought you might also like to look at some great shots that take some of these guidelines into account by using rivers to enhance the composition or draw the eye. Plus, they're just damn nice photos!Photo by Kaneda99Photo by SergioTudelaPhoto by MargottaPhoto by Nicholas TPhoto by Dicktay2000Photo by law_kevinPhoto by BulliverPhoto by Hari_krPhoto by law_kevinPhoto by Paolo MargariPhoto by Nicholas TPhoto by JTravism

If you ever get to Japan and you like taking photos of people, then Harajuku in Tokyo is an absolute must see. The cosplay, gothic lolita, visual kei and decora fashion sub-cultures of Japan gather there every Sunday (and quite a lot during other times) in a bid to out-do each other in the freaky fashion stakes. And it's a photographer's dream!Photo by Mushi KingPhoto by ColodioPhoto by ThisParticularGregPhoto by BeggsPhoto by Mushi KingPhoto by KiainetPhoto by ColodicPhoto by Jesslee CuizonPhoto by Bass_nrollPhoto by SushicamPhoto by Jesslee CuizonPhoto by Lee LeFeverPhoto by ColodioPhoto by Mushi KingPhoto by ColodioPhoto by Mushi King

Getting interesting foregrounds into landscapes is not always easy. One of the ways to make a foreground look great, however, is to look for dried out riverbeds or lakes. As you can see from this collection, dried mud can make for some awesome shots, whether as part of a wider landscape picture or as the primary subject.Photo by Josh SommersPhoto by Code PoetPhoto by Ostrosky PhotosPhoto by Arno GourdolPhoto by Beni Ishaque LuthorPhoto by DanielJamesPhoto by Uriel AkiraPhoto by DazMSmithPhoto by woowoowooPhoto by Mr Phil PricePhoto by AnuradhaPhoto by Danny McLPhoto by ZealusPhoto by Paul WilliamsPhoto by Travis S.Photo by Timmy ToucanPhoto by Kitapix

The Wikipedia entry for stock photography describes it as, the supply of photographs licensed for specific uses. It is used to fulfill the needs of creative assignments instead of hiring a photographer. Dropping prices in high quality DLSR cameras and increasing speeds and bandwidth for the Internet, stock photography has become a second stream of income for thousands of photographers.At one point, shooting stock photography was a private club that only let certain new people in, and much of the inner-workings remained guarded under a veil of secrecy.  The general concept and approach to shooting stock hasn't changed, but the availability for anyone to contribute and sell is.  Here's what you need to know if you're interested in shooting stock.Photo by D'Arcy Norman Know your rights.  There are two ways stock is sold, royalty free and rights managed.  Royalty free does not mean you will be giving photos away for free, it simply means someone will buy a license to use your photo an unlimited, or predetermined number of times.  Royalty free also indicates that more than one person can purchase rights to use the photograph and rights to use the image are usually less than rights managed.  Rights managed photos ...

Part of taking photographs is the enjoyment you get with sharing them.  Along with sharing, comes learning, and along those lines are criticisms.  This article will show you how to handle the three types of photographic criticisms without getting overly frustrated.Photo by Paulo Brandão Unsolicited criticism. Sometimes we hang photographs in our home, post to our website, Facebook or have on display at local businesses and viewers will offer their criticism.  Sadly, most don't viewers don't understand how to compliment and usually look for flaws in the work.When an unsolicited criticism comes, and it's negative, thank the person for their input and ask them what they would have done differently.  Don't defend your work, rather ask for their input.  If they can't offer you any, ask them to explain what they don't understand, or if they'd like to know how or why you shot and captured what you did.  This will, hopefully result in a conversation about the piece, rather than a debate about what is or isn't a good photograph.Photo by Paul (dex) This is good but... Posting photos to sites like Flickr and Deviant Art will without a doubt get you lots of exposure and room for comments, but the ...

Once upon a time the camera body of an SLR system would last you several decades, and then some.  Technology made advancements, but for the most part you won't see any groundbreaking advancements from the late 60's to early 80's when the autofocus system came out, at which point camera bodies started a fast track and then digital came to market about 12 years ago.With the digital age, technology advances very rapidly and our needs and wants from our hardware have continued to grow with each passing day.  The major manufactures are putting out new bodies anywhere from 8-16 months right now.  That means the model you buy today will be surpassed by a newer version in the next 8-16 months.  The trouble is, if you continue to wait till the next newest model to buy, you'll be waiting forever.  Complicating matters, you may not need to upgrade your current camera body yet.Photo by Sikachu! To examine whether or not you are really ready to upgrade a camera body, lets break down what features are most important to photographers, as this will help determine if an upgrade is needed.  This article assumes you already own a DSLR body and it isn't ...

Photography can be an expensive hobby, gone for most of us are the days of spending money on film and processing but it seems accessories and core components are always on our wish lists.  Photography is really one of those hobbies where you don't need to spend a lot to get great results, but you do get what you pay for.  Here are some tips to help budget your photography so you don't end up in the deep end.Photo by Mynameisharsha Don't buy on release day. When new DSLR bodies are released, there is always a huge hype that goes around with them and everyone is scampering to buy one.  If you can wait as little as 90-120 days after the release you could save as much as 15%.Buy used. This is one you really need to be careful of and can be a whole article on its own.  When new bodies are released, a lot of photographers sell their previous generation bodies at deep discounts.  For example, when the 5dmkII was released, the first generation 5d's started to show up used on forums for as little as $1500.  30 days after release the price slid to $1300 with a grip ...

Summer is here!  The northern part of the world is in summer right now, which means good times with friends and family, outdoor activities and vacations.  It's also a great time to practice shooting different and new subject matters.  Here's ten things you will want to practice shooting this summer that will make you a better, more well rounded photographer.Blue HourPhoto by Torley The blue hour refers to the small window of time that occurs just before sunrise each day and just after sunset.  It can provide some of the most stunning landscape photos you've ever taken, but some careful planning is required.  Check out this blue hour website to see what time the window is open in your part of the world, get your tripod and go shooting!MacroPhoto by Aussiegall Blooming flowers make for some of the best subject matter for macro photography, so take advantage of the vibrant and fun colors as different varieties change through the summer season.TexturePhoto by Visualpanic Shots like the one of this pool show how important texture is to photography.  Look for subtle details like how light reflects and refracts off and through the water for impressive photos like this one.Architectural DetailsPhoto by Klearchos Kapoutsis So ...

Landscape photography is very subjective, but most will agree that, to some form or another, following the rule of thirds will help achieve a great looking photo.  One way to do this is incorporating roads and paths into your frame that will enhance the overall composition of the photograph.  We've already showed you how to utilize the S-Curve in photography and many of these examples show you just how it's done.Breaking up the frame with properly placed lines from roads, paths and trails can really help bring your photograph to the next level.Photo by NrbelexPhoto by cindy47452Photo by Chuck “Caveman” CokerPhoto by conner395Photo by Kat...Photo by PörröPhoto by Shahram SharifPhoto by ecstaticistPhoto by Tambako the JaguarPhoto by Aitor EscauriazaPhoto by AuraeliusPhoto by telmo32Photo by /\/\ichael Patric|{Photo by caesePhoto by fdPhoto by Tony the MisfitPhoto by **Mary**Photo by GilmothPhoto by jenny downingPhoto by geoftherefPhoto by Amy V. MillerPhoto by rogilde - roberto la forgiaPhoto by Thomas HawkPhoto by MaxChuPhoto by m o d e

Photography is one of the rare hobbies that many people can earn their investment back on and actually make money.  For example, if you snowboard, it's very unlikely that you'll ever make back the investment in gear, lift tickets and travel from that hobby, where in photography there's a chance you can.  Many hobby photographers are now starting to recoup their photographic investment by turning pro, but the reality of doing so is often something that's left only as a dream.  For the sake of this article, we'll break down one of the more popular avenues of professional photography, wedding photographers. The DreamPhoto by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³Working for yourself Making a lot of money for a day's work Traveling Working only selective days Shooting, which is what we love doing anywayThe RealityPhoto by Elsie esq.The daily grind is hard Working by yourself can be lonely One day of shooting often means up to 40 hours of associated work Medical insurance, equipment and liability insurance is expensive Weekends are all but gone Shooting stops being fun and turns into a job Marketing costs skyrocketAgain, this article is focusing on wedding photographers, but the concepts can be applied to many other types of photography.Most of us dream of being able to quit our day ...