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Toad Hollow's Photography Links Roundup Is Here!

As another week rolls past us in the world of photography, here we find Toad Hollow Photography searching in all corners of the internet for links to tutorials, special features and great photography to share with everyone.

This week's collection of photography links features a wide variety of subjects and images with something of interest for enthusiasts and professionals who appreciate all genres.

We really hope you enjoy checking out this set of pictures and posts as much as the Toad did himself in bringing this list to you.

AWESOME TUTORIALS

Problems With Adjustment Layers In Photoshop? Here’s How To Avoid Them – this terrific article is posted right here on Light Stalking and shows us how to avoid common problems when using adjustment layers in Photoshop.  These simple tips are sure to help you take better control of your post-production, and your photographs will benefit as a result.

Learn How to Create Proper Shadows in Photoshop – when creating composites, shadows are key elements to include to create a strong sense of realism in imagery.  This 19 minute video tutorial takes you through all the steps to create realistic shadows, removing some of the mystery behind the process.

Creating High Contrast Black and White Photos With Your Smartphone – smartphones are becoming more and more ubiquitous in terms of usage as a camera as almost everyone has one these days.  It is said that the best camera is the one you have on you and this brief article shows you how you can create terrific black-and-white shots with a contemporary flair.

Working With Speedlights in Daylight – with a large myriad of choices available to us today in terms of artificial lighting, understanding the abilities and constraints of speedlights can help you take terrific control over lighting.  This article covers how to use speedlights to their fullest to achieve stunning results, even in daylight.

Creative Photography Ideas for Cloudy Days – some terrific yet basic premises regarding shooting outdoors during cloudy days are shared in this brief article that covers this topic.  Sample shots of the points covered are included in this post, giving you visual feedback on the concepts discussed.

Photoshop or Lightroom? They Work Better Together – a brief video tutorial takes us through comparing both of the must-have tools in a photographers post-production toolbox, Photoshop and Lightroom.  After watching this presentation, you should have a better idea of which tool is most suited for your needs, and in some cases the answer is surprisingly both.

Full Frame vs Crop Sensor: Which is Better for Portraits? – the question of whether to shoot with a full frame camera or a crop sensor is explored in this brief video presentation.  Both sensor types are used in this presentation that shows you the key differences between the two, allowing you to see the results and come to your own conclusion.

SPECIAL FEATURES

There's More to Landscape Photography Than Taking Pictures – many would argue that you can’t find inspiration in two minutes; I disagree.  This great video presentation is just over two minutes in length and shows us the excitement that can be found if we engage the world we live in, especially if we do so through the eye of our lens.

Night Owls: A Colorful Analog Photo Project on Old School Cars – photography projects can be a very meaningful and important aspect to include in your work, allowing you to focus on subjects that bring a sense of personal impact to photography.  This project features old cars, and by carefully composing and lighting them they find new life in a frame preserved forever.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

In the morning mist – a lovely picture taken in Slovenia features the rolling landscapes that present themselves in a photograph from Peter Zajfrid.  As a thick mist lingers over the vista, it creates a mystical feel that adds a perfect element to a shot that is anchored by a character-rich home in the foreground.

Playing Polar Bear! – even something as majestic and dangerous as a Polar Bear can stop and have fun in life every once in awhile, it would seem.  Ron Niebrugge captures a great shot in this post that features one such bear sitting on it’s haunches as it plays with some flotsam and jetsam it encountered at some point during it’s day.

Kamokuna Drips – nature delivers a wonderful abstract in this shot that comes to us from Bruce Omori in Hawaii.  As molten lava runs across the landscape, it drips into the colder waters of the ocean where plumes of steam are created, accented by the roiling waters captured using a long exposure time.

Back Bay Blues – the Boston skyline is showcased in this great shot from the studio of Steven Perlmutter, who uses a pond in the foreground as an anchor into the shot.  Gentle reflections of color from the lights on the buildings adds a great element to the picture that also features some of the striking architecture found in the city.

Al Maktoum Bridge – Daniel Cheong features a dramatic bridge in Dubai in this cityscape shot, using the bridge as a leading line into the frame where the skyline it filled with incredible skyscrapers.  The lights from the buildings add a great aspect to the shot as the city sits below an interesting sky bathed in blue hues from the ambient light.

Le train de Fret “Le Rungis” & les Street Artists (gare d’Austerlitz) – Mathias Lucas does a terrific photographic study of a train that has been painted in vibrantly colored murals.  The results of the artistic contribution to the train are astounding, featuring great details and intrinsic features that draw you into the piece that will ultimately travel the rails spreading cheer in its journey.

Old Torpedo 19′ – a highly conceptualized piece is presented here by Alessandro Di Cicco who takes advantage of the golden hour to capture this amazing image.  An antique car anchors this shot as we find a glamourous model standing in front of it, immediately whisking us back 100 years and into a simpler time.

The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Pano – Tim Stanley captures a super-wide panoramic shot of the sand dunes in the national park, sharing a vista that features dramatic mountains and dunes.  Some aspects of the shot also take on an abstract feel to them with the dunes and how they play with the shadows.

Ping An – for those who enjoy vertigo inducing vistas, look no further than this amazing piece by Jennifer Bin.  A pair of shoes dangle over the edge of a skyscraper, leading the viewer into the frame where the ground awaits far below with incredible architecture.

Rocky Gorge Foliage – a vibrant swath of colors splash across this frame from Wayne Beauregard who takes advantage of the beauty of autumn.  Reds, oranges, yellows and greens and are found and expressed within this photograph, showing us all the inherent beauty found in nature within the context of a frame.

Eurasian Pygmy Owl – well done owl photographs can create strong portraits that exhibit a sense of the personality behind the face, as we find here in this amazing picture by Milan Zygmunt.  Crisp details in the face of the owl work perfectly against the bokeh backdrop that does a perfect job of isolating the bird in the frame.

Hallgrimskirkja at Night – beautiful artificial lighting highlights aspects of this very dramatic bit of architecture found in Iceland.  Here we find photographer Anne McKinnell has visited the location during the blue hour, taking advantage of the perfect natural light that finds terrific harmony with the man made aspects of the church to create something truly special.

Summer Rush – this monochromatic shot was captured in the summer in Italy, and exemplifies a great sense of artistic tension in how the person in the photo appears to be running towards a street trolley.  Terrific beams of light rain down from above, presumably created by the sun in the middle of summer, adding to the overall feel.

Rise & Fall – incredible waterfalls dance across this landscape shot from Daniel Herr that focuses on the incredible vistas of the location captured.  This shot is capped off by the beautiful colors in the sky as dramatic clouds linger overhead.

Waiting on sunset in Vernazza – a delightful little town sits perched on the rocks overlooking the ocean in this shot captured in Italy by Jim Nix.  So much history and so much character is exuded here that we all will find ourselves heading to pack our bags and book a flight to this amazing corner of our little planet.

Wes Anderson Hotel – this great shot comes to us from Johannes Hulsch and leaves us wondering so much in how this hotel came to find itself in this state.  Now boarded up, it obviously once was a true destination as it sits in a very picturesque setting, yet today it looks like an afterthought with an unclear future.

Clean Abstract – Andy Hooker (LensScaper) often features abstract shots on his blog that are composed with natural features or architectural details.  The lines and geometry studied in this picture are accented perfectly through Andy’s personal vision and post-production style that brings his work to life for us all to enjoy.

The shipwreck – I personally love these sorts of subjects, old derelict boats that sit where they last were active and today have no future to look forward to.  This one was captured by Keith Mokris who does a great job in photographing it, allowing us to explore the natural weathering that occurs with wooden structures left to the elements for years on end.

Capitol Peak – Michael Criswell shares a trio of amazing landscape shots in this post, focusing on the wonderful colors of fall that are found in nature high up in the mountains.  The third shot is a great panoramic image with hills and mountains that create layers that add depth to the composition.

Cherry Pond II – this shot comes to us from Bob Lussier who takes advantage of the wonderful colors in the sky from the cloud cover lingering overhead.  A patch of reeds in the foreground sit in the middle of the pond that is featured, adding a great anchor for this picture.

Further Learning

Before you leave, we have an IDEAL skills course for newbies to DSLR Photography DSLR Photography for Beginners by Brent Mail.
Check it out and see if you could benefit from the essential things taught to take control of your DSLR!