Another wonderful week in photography passes us by and Toad Hollow Photography has been busy searching for links to the best tutorials, reviews, special features, collections, great photography and interesting blogs to share here with everyone. This week's list features a terrific cross-section of pieces showcasing some wonderful photography, as well as some really interesting and pertinent articles in the field. We really hope you enjoy checking these links out as much as the Toad did in bringing this list to you.
TUTORIALS
The Definitive Guide to Pinhole Photography: Part 1 | Part 2 – definitive barely begins to cover the incredible depth that Rob Taylor takes in creating this pair of articles that describe in detail the physics behind the concept of pinhole photography as well as showing you step-by-step how to make your own pinhole camera. For a few dollars, you too can make your own pinhole camera and use it to make really incredible and unique images with the help of this feature presentation.
Tutorial: Shooting Double Exposures with a Canon 5D Mark III – this video tutorial is less than 4 minutes long but delivers some tips and tricks on a pretty cool advanced feature in this line of cameras. Sara K Byrne shares some terrific example images with her article, making for a really interesting piece to read.
How to Save Instagram Photos Without Sharing Them on Instagram – for those who love the look and effect of Instagram images but don’t want to share them online, here’s a simple trick to use to capture the shots with the built-in effects and filters, and save them locally for later (and private) use.
Adobe Camera Raw: The Adjustment Brush – Blake Rudis creates and delivers a great video tutorial that’s less than 14 minutes long that takes the visitor through the process of fixing color temperature issues in an image in Adobe Camera Raw. Blake’s comprehensive look at the problem and it’s solution is sure to be of interest to those who use this tool for post-processing.
Working in Your Studio Space – Joe Farace delivers a short but generally comprehensive piece that discusses studio setup for lighting and portrait work. Joe’s great insights are sure to be of interest to those looking to transition.
REVIEWS
Photo Blogging with WordPress Responsive Themes – Captain Photo (Keith Cuddeback) writes a comprehensive overview and review of responsive themes for WordPress blogs. Keith’s incredible insight into this concept brings a few key points to light for those who run a photoblog, and Keith also takes the opportunity to review a few themes that support this precept.
Lighting Diagram Creator Lets You Easily Save and Share Your Light Setups Online – this review discusses and shows how to use a terrific online tool for creating diagrams that display lighting setups. Well thought out and easy to use, this great tool is sure to be of interest to those who teach and share knowledge on the craft.
SPECIAL FEATURES
9 Fundamental Ways to Market Your Photography – basic, common-sense type advice is hard to ignore, and this great article by Simon Bray delivers on some key points that are critical for long-term success in the field. Definitely well worth the time to visit and read if you’re trying to take your work to the next level professionally.
Nos deux regards sur la tour Eiffel | Nos deux regards… – Mathias Lucas and Anne-Laure K. take us into the iconic heart of Paris with this terrific set of posts that showcases the world-famous Eiffel Tower. Mathias and Anne-Laure each use their own personal skills and talents to create distinctly different viewpoints and perspectives on the tower. It really is terrific to see the same subject through the lenses of two distinct artists.
COLLECTIONS
Long Exposure Photos of Rock Faces Lit by Flashlights, the Moon, and the Stars – a collection of images unlike that ever seen before! Neal Grundy has created a truly unique concept and has executed it just perfectly in this collection of shots that feature rock faces captured at night with incredible and mesmerizing artificially and naturally created light.
Photos of Massive Underground Caverns Being Dug Under NYC – Patrick Cashin has been photographing the underground progress of cavern building being undertaken by the MTA of New York. The sheer scale of the project is difficult to imagine, and this set of images does a great job of trying to bring context to this notion.
GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY
Rodanthe Red – Jim Denham brings us along as he takes in a breathtaking morning sunrise with some just incredible shades of red in the sky as the sun begins it’s journey up the sky. A wood pier gently leads the viewer through this frame, creating a great leading line as well as a really fabulous vanishing point for a touch of artistic tension.
1954 Chevrolet Corvette – what is today an icon on our roads was once a child with a lost identity. The beautiful and striking early Corvette’s today are highly collectable and sought after, but during their inception people were lukewarm at best in terms of their reception. Mark Summerfield delivers a fabulous short series of photographs that feature a perfect specimen of a Guardsman Red 1954 Corvette Roadster.
Death Valley Part I – this absolutely mesmerizing landscape photograph from the studio of Jason Hines takes us deep into Death Valley where Jason patiently spent hours waiting for the perfect light, like a hunter stalking it’s quarry. The result is this incredible image with epic colors and tones from the blue hour that turns this rugged landscape scene into one of intense artistic beauty.
In My Own Words: Baby Tatanka, Part II – this is the second part to a short series hosted by Richard Stinson at Dakota Visions Photography. This installment finds us back in the Custer State Park where we see new families of buffalo coming to life as winter makes way for spring. This is a heartwarming piece sure to be enjoyed by everyone who visits.
Sawtooth…. – Derrick Birdsall finds and shares a fabulous scene that showcases a great ribbon of highway leading off into the neverending distance, flanked in the far background by a pair of towering rock formations. The absolutely top notch vanishing point created with this shot delivers a strong sense of artistic tension with questions left unanswered.
Twilight Show – an epic scene plays itself out in front of the camera of Christopher Eaton who comes away with an amazing photograph of a lightning strike. Tendrils branch their way across the sky in this shot that features a form of a gradient to add a layer of intrigue.
Reflections from the Superstition Mountains – in light of the recent tragedies that have struck the United States, Chris Frailey uses a great shot of the iconic Superstition Mountains as a basis for some insightful thoughts. Chris’ poignant words merge wonderfully with the drama found in this beautiful landscape to create and deliver a truly profound piece.
Reflection 3 – Tiger Seo captures a great evening shot that features strong and modern architectural elements carefully reflected back in a still pool of water. Great colors in the buildings and their environs all pop out of the monitor in this picture, creating a compelling piece to view and enjoy.
the officers mess – fabulous textures and details are all explored in this photograph by david stoddart that takes us inside an old, unused officer’s mess hall. David’s great composition works perfectly with the subject in this picture to accent the key details being explored.
Bodie Island Lighthouse – lighthouses are wonderful photography subjects, and this picture by Curt Fleenor is a great example of this. Curt’s spot-on composition with this shot delivers much needed context to the scene, as well as a perfect leading line to guide the viewer into the heart of the frame.
Petrified Trees, Dead Vlei ,Namibia – a barren scene is presented by Mark Paulson in this very dramatic picture of petrified trees standing tall and proud in the middle of what appears to be a desert. An entire forest of these long dead entities pokes out in various spots in the setting, adding further to the sense one has of visiting an alien landscape.
crossing over – something incredibly haunting and lonely is shared in this great photograph from the studio of Kenny Barker. Great colors from the fleeting light in the sky graces a scene with a lone boat sitting on a lake, creating fabulous natural tension and intrigue.
Lyulin Highway – fluid motion is juxtaposed against a still, frozen landscape in this wonderful image by Pavel Pronin. The great light trails from the moving cars on the highway below naturally takes the viewer through the picture, into the distance where a city sits under cover of the night.
Fantasyland Photos, WDW Magic Kingdom – there’s nothing better than finding your inner child again, and this great set of images by Mark Garbowski does just this. Mark takes us along on a brief exploration of Disney World and shares a few enchanting shots of some of the features and display.
Old castle Ribnik – a wonderful old stone castle sits in a bright and lively field in this picture from Oliver Švob. Great tones in the landscape converge wonderfully with the colors from the stones to make for a great picture to see and enjoy here.
Waimea Wonder – a gorgeous, never-ending landscape vista greets the visitor in this great image by Alex Filatov. Alex brings us to the edge of what is considered to be “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific” where we enjoy a scene complete with incredible colors in the sky and rich layers to gently guide you through the image.
Dubai – great colors and tones in the sky merge with strong and modern architectural details in this photograph by Cesar Castillo. Light trails from moving cars create perfect leading lines in this frame, finishing it off with just the perfect touch.
Raining.. – a haunting shot of a little owl perched atop a rock in the teeming rain tugs at the viewer’s heartstrings in this photograph by Kamran Saleem. The great details discovered in the little bird work with the way it looks off into the distance to really create a compelling shot sure to be enjoyed by all.
C6J7800 Golden Wave – David Orias finds and captures the most amazing natural light reflecting off the top of cresting waves during a fire season. David’s piece shares some epic colors in the light and how it plays off the water, creating a truly incredible abstract piece.
Gołuchów Castle – this fabulous architectural study of a very old castle greets the visitor in this shot created and shared here by Jacek Gadomski. The way that Jacek has processed this shot lends itself perfectly to the scene, with dramatic muted tones being predominant and a perfect way to accent the natural interest.
A Mother’s Kiss – timing is everything in photography and this great shot by Rob Hanson shows just why. A young bird and it’s mother share a meal and a personal moment together, and Rob’s great shot brings all of this wonder to our screens here to enjoy.
The De La Warr Pavilion – Andy Hooker (LensScaper) does a terrific job with this architectural study of an important and iconic building in England. Andy takes us around the building, exploring some of the finer details and the incredibly beautiful surrounding landscapes.
A Rock Squirrel At Zion National Park – squirrels make for fabulous photography subjects, frequently becoming larger than life with their great personalities and spirit. Steve Creek captures a pair of really great shots here featuring exactly that.
North Rocks – Scott Ackerman’s great shot here features a grand rock formation in the foreground as the sun rises in the distance, bathing the entire vista in glorious colors and tones. A really interesting naturally forming light phenomenon adds a great layer of interest to the shot, one that makes for a must-see picture in this week’s list.
Chesterfield Tunnel – April 2013 – an underground tunnel formation left unused and forgotten for many years now forms the basis for a photography study in this post. Really compelling shots of the haunting underground once teeming with activity create a collection that is totally profound and poignant.
Reach for the sky – Dave Wares delivers a power and dramatic black-and-white modern architectural study featuring terrific lines and one mesmerizing reflection in the glass panes. Dave’s great composition creates natural leading lines that take the viewer up into the great forever, culminating in a very strong vanishing point.
Red Door – incredible textures in the stonework create a perfect frame for a bright red door. The wooden door guides the viewer into the frame, and the fabulous iron hinges add a touch of contrast and interest to a terrific composition.
A Little Help from our (Duck) Friends | The Lovely Couple, Part Two – a pair of ducks makes an annual stop in the yard of photographer Laurie MacBride who uses this particular opportunity to capture a set of great images. Fabulous details in the birds brings out all the character they possess, and Laurie’s great words add a fabulous dimension to the story being shared here.
Rosses Point – Val Robus takes us into the heart of the quaint seaside resort of Rosses Point. A poignant set of photographs is the direct result of her visit, which in turn makes for a terrific blog post to visit and enjoy showcasing the natural beauty and intrigue of this storied spot.
Shades of Yesterday – Tim Stanley captures a monochromatic detail shot of the front grill of a classic 1936 Buick. The inherent character found in car designs of this time comes to life with Tim’s great black-and-white shot that shows off a little of the style of the times.
Night Time At Salford Quays, Manchester – a fabulous pair of shots featuring the scenes and architecture at Salford Quays is shared here by Mark Mullen. Wonderful colors in the sky from the last embers of the days light drape the scenes in fabulous colors and tones, adding a huge dimension of interest.
Reflections Of The Atlantic Theater – incredibly mesmerizing reflections form an intricate part of the interest in this great shot by Metro DC Photography. Really wonderful details in the monument are brought out for those who explore the frame, making for a must-see piece in this week’s list.
Dusk at Jennette’s Pier – the incredible beauty of the blue hour at dusk casts great colors over this seascape scene, as captured and shared here by Curt Fleenor. The pier leading out to sea forms a perfect leading line and vanishing point in this wonderful image.
Maison Heinen – it’s so very haunting, seeing a scene like this of a bedroom that’s long abandoned, yet pieces of furniture and a few personal photos remain behind. Great textures in the room from the effects of decay add a great dimension to this highly captivating picture.
Reifenstein Castle – castles are such terrific photography subjects, showcasing great architectural elements and details, great materials in their construct and a strong sense of medieval romance. Ravi S R delivers a fabulous black-and-white shot of a commanding castle situated in the forest on the side of a hill.
Blue Light Slot Canyon, Arizona – the Slot Canyons in Arizona produce the most striking scenes, perfect for photography. In this shot by Mark Paulson, we get to enjoy some great shapes and lines created by the sharp edges of the canyon rock face, with really great light producing colors and tones that give a sense of depth and dimension.
Blue hour at Wailea – Jim Nix captures a breathtaking blue hour shot taken on a beach in Hawaii. The curving shoreline creates a terrific leading line in this shot that shares great details for those who spend some time taking in the picture in it’s entirety.
New Start – Jerry Denham delivers a new shot on his blog this week, this one of a lighthouse on the coast under a starry evening sky. The great colors in the sky work perfectly with the natural romance and intrigue of the lighthouse itself, making for a highly captivating picture.
Venus in the Night – Rick Louie takes us deep into the wilds of Arches National Park, Utah where he captures a fabulous night shot of the rock formations sitting under a beautiful starlit night sky. The epic beauty of the locale is really brought out in this wonderful picture by Rick.
Wherever it Goes – this great shot features a dirt roadway guiding the viewer into the frame, as photographed and shared here by Rachel Cohen. The beautiful fall trees add great colors and tones to the image, adding a great dimension.
Spring's Colours – Light Stalkings very own @astaroth takes us out on a walk with him as he explores the natural beauty of the countryside he calls home as spring arrives. Great colors in the green fields work perfectly with the blues in the sky to create a set that exhibits a strong sense of beauty and peace.
Classical Gas Museum, Embudo – Mark Summerfield visits a place that is almost made for HDR photography, featuring old antiques and cars and trucks with wonderful rust and weathering from the passage of time. Mark uses his wide angle lens to purposely add linear distortion to the images, creating dramatic pictures that emphasize specific attributes of the scene being photographed.
The Calm – Bob Lussier creates a dramatic black-and-white landscape image with his long exposure piece in this post. The waters find themselves smoothed out with a silky look and feel, and the various landscape elements are in sharp and crisp focus, all combining to create a surreal feeling picture sure to captivate the mind of all who visit.
Two Hands – a simple shot featuring some really terrific bokeh is shared in this post by Steve Beal. Steve’s shot features a wooden box with a stamp on it, and his incredibly shallow depth-of-focus turns a piece that may be slightly pedestrian in nature into a work of fine art that is truly pleasing to view.
Twilight Docks – a sharp and crisp view of the docks in Milwaukee casts an alluring scene for CJ Schmit to capture and share here. Really great tones in the evening sky work wonderfully with the architecture of the city to cast a picture expressing the character of the city.
Inside St. Mary’s – Erin Duke takes us inside a heritage church in Kingston, Ontario where we get to take in the incredible Neo-Gothic architectural elements that make it up. Erin’s use of black-and-white in this shot uses the deep contrasts to accent the inherent interest in the natural light streaming into the church.
The Gristmill – using edgy tones and sharp contrasts and details, John Sotiriou captures a picture of a scene from another time. This historic old mill proves to cast the perfect subject for John to photograph, featuring really fabulous textures and details to explore.
Sly Light…. – I’m not sure here but I believe we are looking at an Urbex exploration picture, featuring a terrific interior shot of a house and it’s staircase leading up. Ionescu Dragos captures a scene with really great light, and by using a monochromatic post-processing technique he creates a picture that delivers a strong message to the viewer.
Sachs Bridge IR – sharp details and elements typically lost in photography are explored in this great infrared picture by Mike Criswell. Many great features are at work in this shot, coming together to really make a piece of fine art imagery sure to be enjoyed by everyone.
The View Across the Harbor – a great shot that gently leads the viewer through the frame to take in specific points of interest is shared by Jimi Jones. This Baltimore sunset creates strong and beautiful colors in the sky, all of which works in perfect harmony with the city’s architecture to deliver a view of the spirit and personality that makes up the fabric of the city.
The Stage Is Set – terrific natural light paints the rock formations with wonderful tones from the side-lighting of the fading day. Andy Gimino’s unique composition with this shot works to create a special piece that is exciting with just a hint of artistic tension.
Inconsolable (sepia version) – a strong and passionate expression fills a little girls face tells a story of what is likely a hard life. Anita Megyesi captures a wonderful portrait of the girl and by processing it in monochrome, she accents the raw emotion captured.
“Textures” Gifts of Spring – Howard Jackman uses the full spectrum of dynamic range in this set of HDR photographs to truly capture the essence of texture. As spring emerges in the northern hemisphere, many of us begin to seek out signs of spring and the upcoming summer, looking for indications of life and color. Howard’s terrific images do a great job of conveying this feel.
Spring Snow, Palouse – natural lines, shapes and colors converge in this shot featuring a snow covered field in the spring. The near dichotomy that finds expression in this shot delivers a scene that contains white snow, juxtaposed against the vibrant colors of the fields, creating a piece that’s abstract in nature.
Great Horned Owlet – a young Great Horned Owlet sits perched on a branch as it’s feathers emerge and it becomes more and more aware of the world it lives within. Mike Veltri captures and shares a stunning shot of the incredible personality of the bird.
INTERESTING BLOGS
Photographer Travels the World Taking Pictures of Abandoned Airplane Wrecks – great bodies of work can be a compelling factor for people to enjoy, and this compendium of shots featuring plane wrecks captured the world-over are a great example of this. Dietmar Eckell has been exploring and photographing crash sites with a common underlying theme of a happy ending where there we no casualties. It’s a very interesting collection, well worth the time for a visit.
Vintage Cameras Found with Old Film – Chris Hugues takes on a project where he sources and acquires old, antique cameras with original film in them or in their cases. The results are incredible as Chris shares a series of images taken many years ago that for all intents and purposes have been long forgotten.
A Reason to Live and the Freedom to Fly – if you’ve been looking for some inspiration to get out there and take life on directly, this motivational and inspiring post by Anne McKinnell is sure to fit the bill. This wonderful blog post by Anne discusses how her and her husband left all normal modern trappings behind and have headed out into the great unknown to follow their dreams.
1 Comment
Thanks a lot Toad, once again, for these great list and for including my photos inside !!