The 30 Best Photography Links of the Last Week

Join us as we explore the very best tutorials, special features and great photography hosted online today in the world of photography in this list of links hand-curated by Toad Hollow Photography.  This list contains links to some great articles and photographs, as shared by some of the finest artists and writers working today.  We hope you enjoy checking out this list as much as the Toad did himself in bringing it to you.

TUTORIALS

This Photoshop Tutorial Will Show You How To Soften Harsh Shadows In Black And White Portraits – our very own Dzvonko Petrovski here on Light Stalking shares a terrific and detailed article discussing post-processing techniques for portraits.  Dzvonko shares his tips and tricks and uses a sample image to illustrate the effects achieved by using his processes, adding a powerful new set of tools to your arsenal for capturing stunning portraits.

Diving In: How To Get Started With Underwater Photography – if you are interested in performing some underwater photography, this is a great place to start.  This tutorial includes a 10 minute audio tutorial along with great writing to give you a foundation that will go miles in helping you achieve your desired results.

DIY High Speed Photography: Shooting Light Bulbs Video Tutorial – this fun video tutorial is just over 8 minutes in length and is full of great ideas and tips on how to shoot great high speed photographs.  All aspects of this genre are covered in this piece from setup, to gear, to technique, giving you a broad range of ideas to work from.

Using Heavy Cross-light To Make Headshots That Glow – this is a contemporary lighting technique that produces great results.  Perhaps not applicable in a traditional sense of portraiture, this technique will give you a new approach in your portraits that may be to everyone's liking.

6 Tips to Make Great Photographs with the iPhone 6 – as our camera phones evolve, so does the opportunities we have at our fingertips to create terrific photos.  This great and brief tutorial covers six great tips that are bound to give you some fresh ideas on how to take your camera phone photography to the proverbial next level.

One of the Best Presented Lighting Tutorials We've Ever Seen (Three Scenes in One Room) – a terrific video tutorial that covers three different scenes lit using varied artificial lighting techniques.  Each layer of lighting is wonderfully described and illustrated in this video to give you immediate positive feedback on the background techniques applied.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Bald Eagles on Vancouver Island BC – our love for this island we call home to is far from secret, and this wonderful post and collection of photographs from Anne McKinnell shows one of the reasons.  This summer as Anne and her husband were enjoying the wonderful summer we had, she came across a group of 15 bald eagles on the shore eating fish, and after running to grab her camera gear she came away with a stunning set of photographs.

Tilt-Shift Time-Lapse Filmed from a Drone Makes Detroit Look Amazing – a terrific video presentation that combines aerial photography using a tilt-shift lens, time lapse and urbex into one feature.  Detroit is inarguably going through changes as the economy shifts, and while decay is found everywhere so is a teeming community of activity.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Milky Way over Hoodoos – an ancient landscape reveals a glimpse of old-world hoodoos sitting under a blanket of stars in the Milky Way.  Gentle light painting highlights the amazing natural rock formations that are millions of years old as an eternal universe spins high overhead in this amazing image from Christopher Wray.

Saint-Robert – an old city in France is explored photographically in this post from Mathias Lucas featuring a wide variety of images ranging from architectural studies to uniquely framed landscapes.  This terrific selection of shots gives the visitor a true feel of the character of the community along with the wonderful history that has been built here over hundreds of years.

Full Moon Rising, Minnesota – Mark Paulson captures a haunting and bucolic scene at the height of the recent supermoon.  A terrific red barn anchors the shot under the colorful moon, revealing a glimpse into the rural lifestyle that this part of the US is so well known for.

Flowing Fog – I believe this is a photograph that features the old monastery that sits on an island in Lake Bled in Slovenia.  This wonderful old facility is full of character that goes back hundreds of years, and when encountered ensconced in fog like it is in this shot from Csilla Zelko it takes on an almost ethereal feel.

First Baptist Church Vertorama – Brad Truxell visits an abandoned church and comes away with this highly textured and alluring urbex shot of the inner cathedral space.  The effects of time have taken their toll on this grand building, making a perfect setting for Brad to capture and share a detailed shot full of rich artistic tension.

The Icicles of Goðafoss, Iceland – the magical landscapes of Iceland come to life on our screens in this breathtaking shot from Patrick Marson Ong.  Beautiful purple hues dance across the skies as a frozen scene below reveals unimagined beauty that can truly only be found in this area of the world.

Surf’s Up – the remnants of a hurricane bring terrific waves to a spot favored by surfers taking advantage of the dramatic natural action produced by the storm.  Barbara Youngleson takes a great shot, processing it in monochromatic black-and-white to accent the drama found in the scene.

May Morning at Oxbow – majestic snow capped mountains reach for the heights in this gorgeous landscape piece from Jeff Clow.  Water in the foreground of this amazing piece does a terrific job of casting a soft reflection of the mountain range, adding a terrific element to the overall picture.

Who Loves Polar Bears? – a wonderful shot from Ron Niebrugge features a mother and cub polar bear making their way through a beautiful snow storm high up in the north.  This shot delivers a terrific portrait of these bears in their natural habitat, giving the viewer a taste of their personality and the landscape they inhabit.

Dubai Mega Fountains – this shot is a terrific architectural study of one of the most amazing cities on earth, Dubai in the UE.  Daniel Cheong captures this image from a highly elevated perspective, revealing a night scene of a city that never rests and seems to go on forever into an endless horizon.

Let's Get Lost! – a thick fog creates wonderful mood in this shot from Anita Megyesi captured in a forested area.  A pathway leads into the mystical essence and we can see the silhouette of a couple wandering, adding a terrific element to this very strong picture.

Autumn bridge – a well weathered wooden walking bridge creates a perfect natural leading line in this shot that showcases the colors of autumn.  Tuomo Arovainio’s shot is full of ethereal feeling as a fog gently hides the forest beyond the bridge, leaving the viewer wanting more.

Teton Worship – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming – soft, warm light from the fading day graces this beautiful scene in a mesmerizing way, showcasing the wood based church and it’s architecture.  Len Saltiel’s shot includes some context of the majestic mountain range that the church is nestled into, creating a wonderful piece.

Color war – as an event unfolds in front of Vicente Concha we enjoy the photograph captured that features an incredibly adorned woman participating in the event.  Wonderful details in the costume and makeup create a scene that is truly mesmerizing, revealing a little of the amazing nature of humanity.

Hlk’yah GawGa – I just can’t get enough of the very remote scenes that nature displays up in Haida Gwaii as photographed and shared here by my friend and fellow photographer ehpem.  Based on thousands of years of incredible native history, this part of the world is one of earth’s best kept secrets, constantly revealing new and wondrous scenery that can only be found in this region.

Pygargue vocifére fishing – an amazing bird is just about to touchdown upon the waters, presumably to catch a nice dinner that is just below the surface.  This great shot from didier cortini reveals wonderful details in the bird, showing off the persona these graceful creatures naturally exude.

Omni Mount Washington – Michael Criswell takes to the air with his drone to capture this three shot panorama that features a wonderful historic hotel nestled in the forest of New Hampshire.  The elevated perspective offered by shooting via drone creates an awesome composition that does a terrific job of exhibiting the character of this incredible location.

Kinderdijk, Holland – the Dutch windmills are globally recognized as special features on an incredible landscape, as it evidenced in this terrific shot from Remo Scarfò.  This great composition reveals a glimpse of a handful of these structures, gently lit to accent their inherent beauty and wonder.

Reflections – beautiful reflections capture and mirror back a wonderful city scene, captured and shared here by Anita Megyesi.  A young girl standing frame right adds a perfect dash of artistic tension to a scene filled with wonderful architecture and character.

City Way – this architectural study is terrifically framed using a walking path as a leading line into the heart of the frame where beautifully lit skyscrapers reach for the sky.  Isam Telhami’s unique composition features terrific details in the buildings, making for a shot sure to be enjoyed by all.

5 Mast Tall Ship at Kotor – amazing light converges with a wonderful scene in this great composition from Barry Turner.  A 5 masted tall ship sits moored in what appears to be a bay, with an incredible backdrop to add context and interest.  The results are astonishing, making for a very strong image to view and enjoy.

Church – Gustavo Rodríguez captures an amazing piece that features a red-roofed character church in the heart of the Icelandic landscape.  The beautiful green rolling mountains that surround this wonderful old church adds great drama to a dreamy shot that will entice one and all to visit this locale in person.