Awesome Links for Photographers to Browse Over a Coffee

Another terrific week in the field of photography has passed us by with some really gifted artists sharing their latest works and writing some wonderful articles.  Toad Hollow Photography has been busy finding the links to the best sources of tutorials, reviews, special features, interesting blogs and a curated list of great photography to view and enjoy.  We really hope you like checking out this weeks list as much as the Toad did in bringing it to you.

TUTORIALS

Quick Tip: Using the Background Eraser – this quick primer includes screenshots and a video presentation to bring focus to the key points of the tutorial.  This definitely is a tool that can help you have finer control over post-processing, opening up a world of artistic creation.

REVIEWS

ExpoDisc 2.0: An Even Better White Balance Filter – this is definitely something I really want in my camera bag, and now more so after reading Joe Farace’s article.  This handy little tool will help avoid white balance issues than can skew colors and hues in photography, with great precision.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Purity of Intention | Inside Lines | Through the Bedroom Window – this trio of posts from the studio of Rob Hanson takes us on a haunting journey through some of the remains of an old wood constructed farmhouse in a serious state of decay.  You can almost hear the sound of the lonely wind as it meanders its way through the cracks and crevasses, drowning out the sounds of those who once called this place home.  This is a terrific series with wonderful photographic documentation.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Floating Pier – this incredible black-and-white piece by Edith Levy is an expression of an image created with intent.  A pier leads the viewer across the frame where the long exposure technique used to capture the picture turns the churning oceans to an ethereal and moody layer of mist.

Charlevoix Lighthouse Sunset – Rachel Cohen visits this lighthouse during a sunset and captures an amazing scene filled with wonderful colors.  The clouds hanging in the sky create a terrific layer of drama to accent the overall view, making for a wonderful photograph.

Luc sur mer – almost every color in the rainbow finds expression in this fabulous image by Florent Criquet.  A pier leads the viewer out to the open waters in this shot, forming a perfect natural leading line to guide you through the frame.

Blue Morning, Blue Day – Jim Denham creates a haunting piece, processing it in a blue hued way to accent the dramatic feel.  The picture features a view across a still piece of water with a patch of trees that leads to the most wonderful remnants of a dead tree sitting just above the water line.

November – a nearly perfect reflection creates two images in one by casting a mirror image.  Jeremey Theron Kirby breathtaking piece is almost monochromatic in nature given the range of colors in the palette, casting a striking and cold feeling scene that is as mesmerizing as it is beautiful.

A Copenhagen sunset – Jim Nix captures a charming picture, showcasing this world-famous city as the sun begins to set.  Incredible details in the architecture are sure to capture the imagination, leading the viewer deep into a world of wonderful discovery.

CCVF – light plays off the sharp edges of the architecture found in what appears to be a staircase in this incredible image by Joaquim Leite.  The deep shadows hide intrinsic natural tension, producing a piece that captures the mind with it’s simplicity.

Shafer Point Infrared – terrific drama is delivered in this infrared photograph by Mark Garbowski featuring a striking landscape scene.  The craggy landscape benefits from the spectrums captured with this technique, producing a shot that really stands out.

Young Grizzly grow – a pair of Grizzly cubs play fight in the water in this terrific shot by Marco Mattiussi.  The wonderful expressions on their faces as they learn about themselves and each other in the context of the world they live in really drives home the emotion in this piece.

Handa Island – a beautiful landscape is juxtaposed against the moving sensation of dramatic clouds lingering overhead in this long exposure piece by Stefano Pedroni.  The dramatic coastline creates a perfect leading line in this shot, gently taking the viewer through the frame.

Flight of the Eagle Owl – a very serious looking Eagle Owl flies straight towards the camera of George Wheelhouse in this stunning photograph.  With its wings folded in mid-flap, the rich details in it’s wings and face really come to life, creating a truly mesmerizing photo to view and enjoy.

Rolling hills of Sussex – a vista so beautiful it looks like it came straight off a postcard.  Barry Turner captures this landscape picture of undulating hills that lead us through the frame towards the outer reaches of the picture.

Morgue Slab – a subterranean train station creates almost otherworldly lines and shapes, captured and expressed in vivid colors here by Joe @Plasmatico.  As the viewer spends time absorbing and following all the leading lines, abstract stories begin to emerge and come to life.

Autumn Gold – a little Goldfinch sits perched on a branch in this shot by Kerri Farley.  The shallow depth-of-focus that Kerri used to capture this piece makes the tiny bird really stand out from it’s backdrop.

Shadow Walk – great long shadows add an element of drama to this overhead perspective shot featured by local photographer Ehpem.  Ehpem’s use of monochrome in post-processing adds a haunting feel to the scene, and the composition features strong elements of natural tension.

Mural – Len Saltiel shares a great shot featuring an architectural study of a dome in the Vatican, and the mural that adorns it.  Incredible intricate details in the architecture of the building accent the mural itself, creating a perfect frame for a truly astounding piece of art.

Wannalancit Mill Spiral – the “Stair Whisperer” Bob Lussier strikes again with his distinct style of photography featuring architectural studies of some of the most incredible staircases out there.  Bob’s composition with this particular staircase creates a strong abstract image with deep contrasts for great depth and dimension.

Pacific Spiral – Steven Perlmutter shares a great rendition of his vision of staircase photography with this piece that showcases a spiral staircase and the resulting abstract feel of it.  Great textures in the brickwork that composes the structure works in harmony here with the lines and shapes created by the stairs, making for a captivating picture to view and enjoy.

Rio Antirio Bridge – this terrific long exposure pieces merges two worlds, one with a modern architectural marvel of a great bridge, and the other being nature itself with it’s fluid movements explored in both the clouds and the water lapping on the shores.  Stelios Kritikakis’ uses the bridge as a natural leading line to guide the viewer right into the picture and through the key elements.

Palo Duro Canyon – Derrick Birdsall captures and shares a shot of a natural rock formation that resembles an abstract in many ways.  The rich colors and details of the scene are perfectly explored in Derrick’s picture.

“Cats” Is this how you go Meow?… – I am definitely a cat person, although I suspect our two house cats would suddenly become rather nervous if any of these cats came for a visit.  Howard Jackman takes us along on a wonderful journey of discovery with his great series of photographs featuring several large cats at the Hogle Zoo in Utah.

Sky on Fire – this breathtaking picture by Jimi Jones features a couple of really compelling photographic elements, one being a set of silhouettes to create tension and intrigue, and the other being epic colors in the sky as the evening begins to set.  The crisp definition of the trees works in perfect harmony with the deep colors in the sky to create a tantalizing piece to view and enjoy.

RMSC – an architectural study is performed here by oneowner, featuring the Rochester Museum and Science Center.  This set features both the wider view of the building as a whole, as well as some detail shots that focus in on some of the finer details that surround it.

INTERESTING BLOGS

Film vs Digital – the question that seems to never really get an answer is looked at once again in this post from our own @astaroth as he features comparative photographs showing the differences between film and digital photography.  There are clearly aspects of each that are great with no clear winner, and it’s really interesting to see the results of photographs that compare these two genres in tandem.

How Important is Style in Photography? – this very thoughtful and insightful piece takes a close look at the concept of style, and its importance in the field of photography.  Alan Steadman does a great job in getting past the outer layers of this concept and really focuses on the why, allowing the reader to understand their work on a deeper level and perhaps helping to arrive at a style as a side-effect.  Or not, as the case may be.

Daniel Morel Awarded $1.2M in Damages in Lawsuit Against AFP and Getty Images – I am all for openness and easy sharing, but when big media giants just swoop in and steal images from hard working photographers, something should be done.  This is a great outcome for this case for the entire field.

Your all-time favorite posts… – Sherry Galey shares the list of her most popular blogs posts in this feature article.  Sherry’s work is truly great and having a chance to see the posts that her followers consider the best ones in a compilation like this makes for a great way to spend some time.

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I am a fine arts photographer that specializes in HDR techniques. Please feel free to visit our Limited Edition Prints site, our Online Gallery or our lively Photoblog.

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