These Are The Coolest Photography Links Of The Week

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With another terrific week in the world of photography behind us, Toad Hollow Photography has been looking in all corners of the internet for links to the best tutorials, special features and great photography to share here with everyone.  This weeks list is composed of a wide variety of subjects and types of images, and we really hope you enjoy checking out these links from some of the finest people working in the field today as much as the Toad did in bringing this list to you.

Soldiers, Sailors and Lightning. 7.14.15
Photo by Brian Gonzalez

TUTORIALS

Speed up Your Retouching with Six Easy Tips – this great 6 point feature discusses how to streamline your workflow in terms of retouching, reducing the amount of time spent in the digital darkroom and allowing you to spend more time focused on your business and shooting in the field.  Fairly advanced topics are covered in this article, some of which could lead you into new processes and procedures in your practice.

13 Exercises for Photographers That Can Help Jump-Start Creativity – this is a great list of ideas to help those looking to jumpstart the creative process, with many ideas being fresh, new approaches to shaking the doldrums many of us face at some point during our time with our camera.  Terrific sample shots are included with the piece to really showcase the intent of the concept being covered, and adding a great dimension to the article in the form of visualization.

6 Ways to Make Your Subject Stand Out More in a Photo – this brief 6 minute video presentation shares a series of tips and tricks to get your subject to pop in a photograph.  This tutorial covers key factors such as depth-of-focus, compositional placement, lighting control, and motion blur, all of which make a great difference in the end result.

Natural Light Photography In a Parking Garage – this great article discusses the application of natural light for portraiture.  JP Danko attends his daughter’s final dance recital and then in an effort to take a few portraits of her on her big day he finds a perfect covered garage area that exhibits directional, soft light perfect for portraits.  He discusses the nuances of the lighting and includes a useful drawing to help the reader visualize the setup.

On the Importance of a Photographer’s People Skills – I hear time and time again about the importance of good people skills when it comes to creating and living a personally fulfilling and successful life in the world of professional photography.  This brief article gives some insight into the how’s and why’s of this importance and can be a key first step for those looking to expand their horizons and launch an exciting career in professional photography.


Photo by A Jones

SPECIAL FEATURES

14 Useful Podcasts for Photographers – this article features 14 varied podcasts for the photography enthusiast to listen to on portable devices like your smartphone.  This medium produces an on-demand radio station concept that makes listening and learning from those active in the field a truly enjoyable experience and well worth the time.

These are the Most Incredible Photos Shot by NASA’s Cassini Probe – this collection of photographs is sure to blow your proverbial mind, all captured by NASA’s famous Cassini Probe as it goes about it’s mission.  These high quality, high resolution images reveal a glimpse into the broader universe we all call home to and in some ways they help to shrink the endless infinity we are surrounded by, and in others they reveal how little we know.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

The End – famed storm-chaser Mike Olbinski brings us along on an epic journey that found him facing down a simply indescribable storm.  The results are this shot, full of drama and fury as nature unleashes all it has upon those who live below.  This shot features a variety of natural features and elements, including an epic lightning strike, dramatic colors in the distance in the skies, and cloud formations that seemingly speak to a sense of the end-of-the-world.

Glittering Dubai – Daniel Cheong delivers a stunning and mesmerizing view of the Dubai Marina and the city’s skyline in the blue hour with this epic photograph.  Daniel creates this piece in a panoramic format, highlighting the true scale and dimension of this absolutely amazing facility, finished off with crisp details that brings the entire scene to life in a wonderful way.

Notre Dame at dawn – the blue hour is preferred by many photographers as the best time of day to shoot, with the light being perfect for many situations and subjects, and very flattering overall.  This great shot by Björn Jönsson shows us why, as he takes advantage of this time of day to photograph a cultural icon that includes some of the surroundings to add context, resulting in a stunning shot of this incredible piece of architecture.

Snoqualmie Falls – the well known Snoqualmie Falls in the state of Washington create a perfect compositional opportunity for Steven Perlmutter as he travels the state with a roving group of friendly photographers, on the hunt for incredible pictures.  In this shot, Steven utilizes a long exposure technique to turn the raging falls into a veil of silky water, contrasting that against the dramatic details found in the surrounding landscape.

It is only a dream – this wonderful composition captures and freezes a moment forever, featuring the dramatic architecture of an ancient monastery sitting on an island in Lake Bled, Slovenia.  The dramatic landscape that surrounds this epic church adds a great layer of interest to the shot, framing it perfectly.

Sweet-As Gold – the truly iconic Church of the Good Shepherd in New Zealand casts a perfect pose for photographer Patrick Marson Ong to capture.  As the sun begins the set, casting a golden hue to the palette of the day, the old stone church creates a stunning and dramatic subject that truly defines the concept of artistic tension.

Soft Texture
Photo by Bill Daly

Golden hour on the Brooklyn Bridge – Jim Nix creates a wonderful photographic study of the Brooklyn Bridge in NY in this blog post.  Jim’s compositions include details shots of the bridge itself, focusing on the great natural lines and leading lines it creates for compositions, as well as wider shots that feature it as a foreground element against the dramatic backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.

Spa Pool – a truly lovely image greets the viewer in this photograph by Mieke Boynton that features a waterfall and a pool of water below, surrounded by dramatic rock faces.  By using a long exposure technique to capture this piece, Mieke blends in a sense of motion in the waters against crisp, abstract details in the surrounding rocks that host the scene.

Sidelight – Steptoe Butte State Park, Colfax, Washington – Len Saltiel captures a great abstract landscape piece to share here in his blog with us all.  The undulating hills of Steptoe Butte play with the angle of the natural light to create a piece full of dimension and depth in how the shadows play against the landscape features, delivering a really stunning piece that is sure to be enjoyed by everyone.

Whitman Co. Growers – these two shots are featured here by Michael Criswell, captured in the same park of Steptoe Butte as the shot featured in the link above from Len Saltiel.  In Michael’s composition, we see a great old grain elevator in the frame, acting as an element of interest and creating a perfect anchor into the picture itself.

Big Ben – photographer bisignano fabrice uses a stone archway to create a perfect frame for a very unique composition of this iconic world landmark in London.  The framing created here does a perfect job of guiding the viewer right into the heart of the frame where we find the dramatic architecture and features of the building that most of us are quite familiar with.

Landwasser viaduct – a frozen landscape creates the perfect backdrop for this shot by Michael Nebuloni that features a train crossing an old stone viaduct.  The crisp red tones found in the train contrast against the stark white surroundings here, bringing the key subject to life while still maintaining a stark, cold feel as found naturally in the Swiss countryside.

A green and pleasant land – this panoramic format image is captured and presented here by Andy Hooker (LensScaper).  The rolling hills of the farmlands and their boundaries create a terrific abstract feel, and Andy’s deliberate and careful processing on the shot adds to the overall bucolic feel of the incredible landscape featured.

Boxgrove Priory – Barry Turner captures a stunning shot that features an ancient church in the UK, surrounded by what looks to be a very old cemetery.  Barry’s wide composition takes advantage of the path that leads up to the doors of the church, creating a perfect natural leading line to guide the viewer into the frame and onto a voyage of discovery.

City reflection – for those who love the power and drama a mirror-like reflection can introduce into a composition, this is a shot you won’t want to miss in this week’s list.  Donald Goldney captures a stunning evening time shot of the Sydney opera house, splitting the composition into two with the scene itself and an almost perfect mirror reflection to add depth.

Crossing the Seine – this picture is created and shared here by Barbara Youngleson, featuring a view of a bridge with the wonderful city architecture in the backdrop to add a dimension of history.  Barbara applies a textural overlay to her work here, creating a strong sense of nostalgia, as if we were looking at a picture painted many, many years ago.

End of day at the Mosque – long shadows grace this image with a terrific sense of dimension and depth, highlighting the naturally alluring architectural features of a mosque in Abu Dhabi at the day draws to an end.  Paul Didsayabutra’s shot features a terrific sunflare dancing off the peak of the building, adding a sense of peacefulness and hope to the composition.

Evening At Tonquin Park Beach, Tofino, British Columbia – the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island in Canada is home to some of the most incredible natural landscapes one can find anywhere.  In this great shot by Frank King, we visit the beach at Tofino as the sun begins to set, and the shot features a beautiful home with an outward view of the dramatic ocean scenes that make this spot so very alluring.

Hallstatt at Night – Brian Hammonds captures a powerful image of the quaint little village of Hallstatt sitting at the foot of a rugged mountain range in Austria.  Brian took this shot late in the day during the blue hour, accenting the beautiful lights from the village in the composition that also features the rugged landscape that surrounds the community.

PhoTones Works #6953
Photo by Takuma Kimura

Baldwin Consolidation 2-8-0 Locomotive – Mark Summerfield creates a terrific image that is sure to be enjoyed by locomotive enthusiasts everywhere.  As an old steam train is parked in the station, the engine’s fireman begins the processing of filling the tender with water for it’s next journey, adding a terrific element of interest to the shot.

Last stop – the rusty hull of a ship that has long since made it’s final voyage dominates the frame in the dramatic frame from Darek Gruszka.  An incredible sense of artistic tension greets the viewer in the form of many unanswered questions related to the life the ship had during its active years, as well as how it came to be moored in this spot, forever frozen as decay and weather slowly disassemble it.

Bears, Glaciers and More – a brown bear is captured in full portrait in this very dramatic shot by Ron Niebrugge captured in Alaska.  The terrific details in the bear’s face shares a sense of the amazing spirit and personality these great creatures have as they go about their lives in the remote wilderness they call home to.

Love in Central Park – a pair of people in love pause for a candid kiss in Central Park in NYC for Edith Levy to capture and share with everyone.  Edith processed this shot as a black-and-white piece, and the rich contrasts explored through this processing creates a great feel that is truly sympathetic to the subjects captured here.

About Author

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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