63 Awesome Photography Articles, Tutorials, Blog Posts and Photos from This Week

A vibrant community of talented photographers exists on the internet, and Toad Hollow Photography searches for the best links on tutorials, great photography and interesting blogs to share with everyone.  There are some fantastic sites to view in this week's list, and we hope you enjoy them.

Check out the Toad’s photoblog and gallery of Canadian Landscape Prints.

TUTORIALS

HDR Cookbook – Why you need an artistic workflow – a great and in-depth tutorial that covers why and how to create an artistic workflow into your image processing regime.  Well worth the time to review, this is sure to help improve the quality of your resultant images.

Bliss N B@W by CEBImagery.com, on Flickr

This is how we use focus stacking (focus bracketing) technique in our product photography – industry leader Alex Koloskov once again shares some very in-depth industry secrets for product photography.  The techniques used here can apply to any macro type detailed work in general, and all photographers will find this article of interest.

A beginners guide to photography: ISO explained in 1000 words or less – a simple and wonderful blog post outlining how ISO works in your digital camera.  A perfect primer to get acquainted with this setting, it is accompanied by a series of test images to show the differences.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

View From The Top – Bob Lussier brings us along on his latest adventure photographing an iconic water tower.  This shot taken from the roof gives us a great view of the city and a brief glimpse into what motivates Bob to do his important and absolutely fascinating work.  Well worth the time to view.

The Tower Bridge, Smokin’ – a lovely photograph of the London Tower Bridge as the blue hour approaches really shows off it’s wonderful architecture and the details that make it truly one of the world’s biggest icons.

Machine Shop – James Howe delivers a picture of machinery unlike anything I’ve seen before.  Crisp and sharp with a lot of wonderful details to enjoy, this image is sure to please.

Who Said You Can’t Teach An Old Dog?… – Chris Maskell produces a really wonderful, dreamy feeling photograph using a special technique and a polarizing filter to produce a long exposure shot.  The water becomes a layer of mist, and the colors and tones here help to create a totally surreal sense to enjoy.

Classic Hollywood-Style Female Portraits – Erik and Kathleen Kerstenbeck showcase a fabulous series of old Hollywood-style portraits of a beautiful female model.  Exquisite lighting, props and subtle colors really help to deliver a strong sense of drama in this wonderful series of photos.

See Ya Later – who doesn’t love an alligator?  This wonderful close-up of the business end of a rather large and rather nasty alligator is sure to amaze everyone.

Temple Entrance – Mike Wiacek displays a photograph that is absolutely surreal.  This incredible image will leave you wanting more and yet you’ll feel somehow completely satisfied.

Life's A Beach – our very own Tom Dinning here at Light Stalking displays a most wonderful series of photos taken seaside.  This has spawned an entire thread of forum members posting their own stunning shots of beaches around the world.  A wonderful thread, well worth the time to gander.

1930 Art Deco Henderson – this amazing series of images is sure to delight everyone!  A very rare and absolutely unique motorcycle created in the 1930’s is meticulously restored and showed, and this series of images and the accompanying blog entry really showcase this unit perfectly!

Butterfly Beach by jonathanschertzer, on Flickr

Pallada – intricate rigging and wonderful details fill the frame of what is reported to be the fastest sailboat in the world.  Jacob Lucas heads down to the docks and captures a lovely image as the sun is setting of this incredible ship, and the results are astounding.

Maserati In Grand Central – this amazing luxury sports car is exquisitely captured by James Howe in Grand Central Station in NYC.  This amazing photograph really brings home the power and the grace that is evident in this line of cars.

Lace – master photographer Scott Frederick displays a B&W image exquisitely processed of a piece of lace left at an abandoned factory.  The background and processing really create a strong sense of melancholy and drama, well worth the time to view.

Red Headed Woodpecker – leading nature photographer Beverly Everson showcases an absolutely stunning photo of a colorful woodpecker.  Very clear and crisp, this is definitely a gem to enjoy!

Saturday Squirrel – Balancing Act – this incredible detailed photo of a little squirrel is top drawer!  Full of life and sharp, crisp details, this image is sure to please everyone!

Lucky – a profound message accompanied by a simply incredible photo.  The details, colors and tones all serve to come together in this picture to deliver a gritty yet meaningful image.

Peaceful, Easy Feeling – the reflection in this landscape image is absolutely incredible.  A perfect, still body of water provides a mirror for a fantastic surrounding landscape.

Clovelly – a village lost in time – a wonderful photo series that showcases a lovely little town in England.  Chris Maskell shares with us some fabulous and interesting details about the little town and displays several amazing photographs of life there.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place – a vintage Dodge sets the stage for this retro style image to jump out of your monitor right at you.  A wonderfully processed image that enhances the details of this classic automobile sitting in a forlorn spot in the world.

Water Struggle – long exposure photography can create the most stunning results.  Silky, smooth running water runs through a series of channels for irrigation, producing a fabulous subject to shoot and share.

Behind the Web – an interesting and unique viewpoint of a spider and it’s web.  This wonderfully composed image employs exquisite depth of focus to bring the viewer to the point…  abruptly.

Class of 1966 – an old abandoned and derelict school provides the perfect subject for an UrBex outing by a crew of some of the best photographers in the US on these sorts of missions.  This wonderful and melancholy image is the beginning of a series being displayed in the coming days.

Gate To Hell – a poignant and profound image that is reminiscent of a scene from an entirely different planet.  An abandoned and neglected state penitentiary provides the ultimate photography subject.

The end of the tunnel by Caitlin House, on Flickr

A Modern Classic – a truly stunning set of images captured during a car show!  This amazing roadster was masterfully captured and processed for our enjoyment by Dave Wares.

Rainier From Sunrise – a stunning shot of the iconic Mt. Ranier as the sun begins to rise.  The tones and colors in this image are sure to take your breath away, as is the majestic and commanding figure the mountain brings the scene.

On Flickr – I am so sorry everyone, my skills in other languages don’t even exist, so I have no idea what this is called.  This is, however, an example of how one image can transcend language entirely and the entire human species can come together and enjoy and see the same thing.  You won’t be disappointed for checking this out.

Imprisoned – an absolutely incredible nature portrait…  of a grasshopper.  This amazing photo is sure to please everyone, check it out.

I’d Rather Die on this Mountain – the photograph will leave you speechless, and the wonderful blog post will make you happy to be alive.  This is just so incredilble, there are no words…

City Streets – great street photography can be a tricky thing to pull off; the subjects have to have great facial expressions and body positioning for the image to really captivate.  This image definitely falls into this category and is a truly great example of top drawer street photography.

The Tiger – Juergen Buergin shares an absolutely stunning image of a tiger.  Regal and commanding, this beautiful cat is masterfully captured and processed to really bring it to life.

Bald River Falls – Michael Glover’s incredible photo of these amazing waterfalls is sure to take your breath away.  The sheer size and scale of this natural wonder are exquisitely captured by Michael for us all to enjoy.

Ruins – the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion are wonderfully captured and processed, bringing all the drama and emotion of the site itself alive.  The lens of Len Saltiel showcases what has to be one of the most incredible locations on earth.

Valley of Fire – Jason Hines delivers one of the most incredibly colored sunrises ever.  Taken in the Valley Of Fire State Park just outside of Las Vegas, this absolutely incredible landscape is sure to delight everyone.

Marina Piccola – a wonderful set of images taken in Italy.  These really do capture the essence of life in Italy and are truly amazing to take in.

You can always reckon on me by itslegitx, on Flickr

Sunflower Sunset – an incredible image with wonderful colors to behold.  The sunlight drapes rays of sun over the field producing a strong sense of happy when you take this one in.

Prayerful Flame – if you enjoy wonderful bokeh in a picture, this one is sure to please!  A candle provides a wonderful subject and the addition of the awesome bokeh background truly adds so much to the picture!

Shish Kebab – a little frog becomes the subject of Christina Rollo’s lens in this post.  A wonderful and super sharp image with extraordinary depth of focus to really bring our little friend alive here!

Foggy Dubai – a totally breathtaking set of images taken from skyscrapers.  The city is enshrouded in fog, creating a totally unique effect of having other tall buildings poking their way out from below the cloud cover.  These are astounding.

Royal Photographic Society International Projected Image Exhibition 2011 – Viveca Koh shares with us her submissions for this years exhibition.  Gritty and full of emotion and textures, these images are all winners and we wish her the very best in her endeavors.

In Focus: Greenland Ice – this stunning photo study is made up of a series of incredible photos taken in Greenland of the ice shelves.  Some absolutely stunning photography is at work here, well worth the time to view!

The Shining – an absolutely incredible, mysterious and alluring image is presented to us by Jacques Gudé.  Exquisite angles, details, textures and lighting are all exposed in this carefully crafted picture.  This will leave you wanting more.

Looking Out – perspective and framing can make a particular image stand right out, and this is a wonderful example of this.  A rolling landscape can be seen through the lens of Jason Hines as he shares with us a fabulous image taken at the Valley Of Fire Park.

Wipe Out! – Erik Kerstenbeck showcases 3 images of surfers in action, including 2 of active wipe outs!  This goes to show that timing is absolutely everything in photography and these images show examples of that perfect timing we are all striving for in our fields.

B & O Locomotive – The LaFayette – a fabulous blog post with an incredible picture of a historic train.  Trains and their accompanying artifacts make for awesome photographic subjects, and this one does not disappoint!  Check out the latest train picture from Jimi Jones.

Garden Web – Thomas Barnett delivers a really incredible shot of a creepy looking spider at home in it’s web.  Waiting and stalking, just for the right moment when the light was just so, Tom captures this really wonderful shot.

Blue in the morning – Dave takes us to Pittsburgh, his home town, for this absolutely jaw-droppingly awesome blue light photo of the city.  Full of wonderful colors and an absolutely wonderfully lit scene, this picture is beautiful to behold!

INTERESTING BLOGS

An Interview: Teresa Stover – a fascinating interview conducted with an incredible professional photographer.  A wonderful introspective into the story behind the artist, and a very inspiring and interesting read.  Well worth the time.

Artist debuts photography on artificial reef off Key West – a fascinating new way to display photographs is underway in the Florida Keys.  New mediums and delivery methods create a new way of viewing and admiring art.

Switzerland Itinerary – Part 4 – Murren to Montreux – a world leading photographer shares with a wider audience a series of photos and accompanying travel dialog.  This blog post today is an absolutely wonderful and beautiful look at a place in the world that most don’t get to see.

Breaking a copyright law: a story of how to fast and efficiently kill your career – if you’re a photographer who is active online, there is a chance that one day this may happen to you.  Our friend and professional photographer Alex Koloskov details a recent incident of image theft and how he handled the situation.  A fascinating and important post to read for us all.

Surviving In A Trash Land – a graphic and utterly heart-wrenching photojournal report of just horrid conditions some people have to live in.  Jose Ferreira is a world famous fashion photographer who is also an incredible photojournalist.  This series is a must-see, but beware, the images are difficult to see.

12 Ways to Make Photographs That Are Guaranteed to Improve Your Portfolio – some fabulous ideas and tips on how to progress to the next level in our chosen fields of interest.  Really great real-world concepts that can provide new ideas.

Creative Photography a Meditation – most definitely a unique approach to finding inspiration.  This may be of use to you, so as such we thought we’d include it in this weeks list.

So, Did Your Photo Agent Change Your Life? – Part I: Grant Cornett – a guest blogger on Chase Jarvis’ blog interviews a successful photographer about his experience with getting an agent working for him.  A brief first part to the interview, well worth the time to read.

Project #1: Practice framing your scene – another very brief but interesting blog post to help photographers practice composing and framing better images.