Relax: Here’s 30 Cool Photography Links That Will Go Nicely With a Coffee

As contemporary photographers and authors work in our modern world, they are publishing some of the greatest images and articles in the field of photography seen to date. Here we find that Toad Hollow Photography has been looking all over the internet this week for links to tutorials, special features and great photography that are of interest to enthusiasts and professionals working in all genres of the field. We really hope you enjoy checking out this weeks hand-curated list of links as much as the Toad did in bringing it to you.

TUTORIALS

Bite Size Tips: How to Improve Details in the Shadows of Your Images – shadows are a very important aspect of photography. They are responsible for depth and texture in many cases, and learning how best to manage them to achieve the results you want with your images is key. The short article is hosted right here on Light Stalking, and is full of great tips to help you get the most from your pictures by taking control of your shadows.

Photography Basics: What Are F-Stops? – check out this great discussion on the technical aspects of F-Stops in photography. This short article talks about their history and meaning, giving you a little insight into an aspect of photography that many have questions about.

5 Photoshop Tricks in 5 Minutes: From the Banana Tool to Lens Flare Precision – wait, what? A banana tool? You bet, and much more in this five minute video tutorial that covers a set of Photoshop tricks we are pretty sure you’ve never encountered before. Take a minute and see some of the outer fringes of one of our favorite photography tools.

What is High Key Lighting? How The Popular Lighting Technique Works With Portrait Photography – high key lighting is a technique that has been around for quite a long time as produces great looking portraits that are bright and happy looking. This article discusses the key aspects of this technique and shows a set of sample shots captured using a few different methods.

Create a Rainy Scene of London City in Photoshop – this is an amazing tutorial that covers all aspects of creating a vision in Photoshop based on elements from several images. Each step is covered in detail and takes you through many different steps, showing you the results along the way to give you visual feedback of the workflow in action.

Top 3 Tips for Photographing Cocktail Parties – being the photographer at a cocktail party can be a lot of fun, especially if you are prepared for the event with the right gear and game plan ready to capture all the candid action as it unfolds. Check out this short list of tips and tricks that will certainly help you prepare for the next big event.

Portrait Focal Lengths, Putting Myths Aside For Clarity – there are as many opinions out there as to what is the correct lens to use for portraiture as there are photographers. Maybe even more. This video feature talks about the various lens lengths, their applications, and the finished frames you can create with the various focal lengths to help you narrow down the right one for you.

SPECIAL FEATURES

These Aerial Photos Show Why Iceland is So Popular for Movies – we’ve all seen the amazing images that can be captured in Iceland, but this collection of photographs takes this concept to another level entirely. In this collection we take to the air to see the vast and remote rugged landscapes that make up this area, along with a set of straight down shots that lend themselves to a highly abstract feel.

The Masterful Photo Compositions of Henri Cartier-Bresson – a two part video feature presentation awaits you in this post that takes an in-depth look at the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, who was a famous photographer that captured some of the most iconic shots of all time. These videos take you deep into some of the finer nuances of the compositions Henri used, sharing a whole new perspective on this amazing body of work.

A Shaded Path: A Large Format Portrait of Kyrgyzstan – journey to the heart of a nation in the process of transformation in this amazing collection of large format photographs of Kyrgyzstan. You will see landscape images, vignettes of various aspects of life, and portraits of the people who comprise this fascinating nation.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

The Forgotten Hospital | The Forgotten Hospital – Evil Corridor | The Forgotten Hospital – Cement Flowers – these haunting shots reveal the remains of what was once a busy and active hospital, yet today it finds that years of neglect and decay are taking their toll. This urbex themed series of photos comes to us from O. R.G. who captured and shared these deeply poignant photographs.

Formed by Fire – taken from what feels to be the very pinnacle of the planet, this dramatic shot overlooks a rugged snow-capped mountain terrain that goes on forever. Daniel Herr’s use of long exposure to capture this shot creates a sense of fluidity in the clouds that hang overhead, adding to the overall feel of the image.

Fishing Shack – Rockport, Massachusetts – as a fishing shack, you know you are famous if you have your own personal moniker in the world of art, and when a blizzard wipes you out in 1978 the community hurries to rebuild you. It’s hard to argue the importance of this great building, as it’s red painted wood exterior and character lend themselves perfectly to painters and photographers as we see here in this shot from Len Saltiel.

Glowing Falls in Iceland – Daniel Fleischhacker’s shot expresses vibrant colors in the context of a dramatic landscape as we look out from behind a fast-flowing waterfall into the landscape beyond. This picture leaves you feeling awed and full of wonder as this otherworldly region takes on a new look.

Below Moraine Lake – there is no such thing as a bad composition in the Rocky Mountains of Canada, as we see here in this great landscape shot from Jim Nix. Jim finds a running creek that leads out of Moraine Lake and uses it as a leading line into the frame where the beautiful natural majesty of the Canadian Rockies stand tall.

Jamnik – a soft, pastel color palette creates a sense of serenity in this shot from Angela Chong that features a small character church sitting on a snow covered hill. The incredible colors in the sky add the perfect touch to this shot, enhancing the unmistakable peace found within the frame.

The Exam – the precise notion of what it takes for a picture to have a strong sense of artistic tension is wide open to interpretation, yet one look at this haunting shot from Michael Criswell will have everyone agreeing we have certainly found it. This shot features some sort of an examination chair in a small room with an overhead lamp that was captured in an abandoned school.

Tower Bridge and the city – the iconic Tower Bridge in the heart of London takes on a highly cinematic feel to it in this great shot from David Abbs. The bridge serves as a perfect natural leading line for the picture, drawing you across the river where the contemporary architecture of the city stands tall.

Best of 2017 – Rachel Cohen posted this last December and I found it this week while looking through my lists looking for great pictures to share here with everyone. This post from Rachel features a wide variety of her photographs taken during last year, and each one is a true joy to view and spend time with in terms of exploring great details in an image.

When I look into the future – Manjik photography creates a highly stylized rendition of a cityscape shot that overlooks the city of Dubai. Great details and a carefully exercised color palette work in perfect harmony with this piece, resulting in a dramatic shot that is quite cinematic in its expression.

National Geographic Award – one of my personally favorite storm chasing photographers, Mike Olbinski, has won a very prestigious award from National Geographic in 2017, coming in 3rd place in the Landscape category for National Geographic Photographer of the Year. The level of competition that comes with contests of this nature is incredible, and this storm based lightning image captured at the Grand Canyon shows the very best the genre has to offer.

Keizersgracht, Amsterdam – the beautiful city of Amsterdam with all its character and intrigue is captured perfectly in this shot that looks over one of the canals at the old architecture. Remo Scarfò’s shot finds a perfect finishing touch with the soft reflection of lights in the water.

Preparing to ski – if rugged and wild mountain landscapes are something that you enjoy, you will not want to miss this terrific post from LensScaper (Andy Hooker). Andy’s visit to the Whistler Mountains on the west coast of Canada this past winter led him to capture these two stunning shots taken from very high up, showcasing the incredible natural beauty and scale of the region.

Wooden Bridge – Mevludin Sejmenovic takes us to Bosnia in this shot that showcases the beautiful landscapes found there in the autumn season. Captured looking over a wooden bridge, this picture draws you into the colorful forest where other bridges can be found by those who spend time taking the picture in.

Winter Dawn – a predominantly blue color palette is featured in this great shot from CJ Schmit that takes advantage of the great light found during the blue hour to look over a frigidly cold body of water as the sun rises in a new day. In the background you can see a factory of some sort striking an amazing silhouette against the soft light of the early morning.

Monschau mornings – at first glance you may think this picture was processed with a warp filter, however it appears to be a true representation of the tudor styling found in the region. Michiel Pieters shares a great shot, full of character, as a light fog lingers over the community that sits on the side of a fast-moving river.

Female Cardinal – Ron Niebrugge captures a striking portrait shot of a tiny bird perched on a limb using a very shallow depth-of-field, isolating the wonderful bird from it’s soft pastel backdrop just perfectly. Ron’s composition along with the crisp details in the bird does a perfect job of capturing the essence of the spirit of this tiny bird in its natural habitat.

look up – Benny bulke delivers a great shot that looks downward through a spiral staircase in Belguim. The natural lines from the staircase are perfectly composed in this shot that is completed by a girl walking up the stairs looking back at the camera.

when the ice cometh – the natural formation of ice on things, especially natural things like plants, can lead to really unique looking images that capture the quintessence of nature herself. In this shot, Frank King finds a tiny week with ice crystals on it, creating a shot that really looks like the plant has been ensconced in diamonds.

Downtown Dubai – Daniel Cheong captures and shares a compelling and dramatic shot of the Dubia city skyline, with a focus on the incredible architecture that comprises this city. This dynamic shot really reveals the highly active nature of the city, and how it supports a contemporary lifestyle rich with all the latest comforts.