We've had another awesome week here in the field of photography with photographers and writers creating and sharing some great content online. In this week's hand-curated list of links, we find some terrific tutorials that cover a wide variety of genres and topics, and a list of links to great photographs to view and enjoy. We really do hope you like checking out these links as much as the Toad did in bringing this weeks list to you.
TUTORIALS
How to Photograph Spectacular Light Trails – capturing cool light trail images is on many people’s to-do list and this great article posted here on Light Stalking will definitely get you started quickly. Several sample shots are included as the tutorial unfolds, showing you the great pictures you can expect to get if you follow these terrific tips.
Three Main Ways to Sync Strobes to Your Camera – triggering an off-camera strobe light can get quite in depth as a topic when you consider the different ways it can be done, and the various adapters and methods available today. This video is just over 8 minutes in length and comes to us from a pro in the field today, removing some of the mystery behind this topic.
Three Ways to Add Film Grain in Photoshop – if you are looking for a technique on how to add realistic looking grain to your photographs, this tutorial will give you some advanced tips that really work well. The video is just over 10 minutes in length and covers several techniques that will look fairly authentic.
5 Hidden Tips and Tricks in Photoshop That Save Time and Speed You Up – learning everything there is to know when it comes to Photoshop is a life-long goal for many. Taking cues from the masters can help alleviate some of the time and frustration, and this video feature that is just over 25 minutes in length covers several features that may be of interest to those looking for a deep dive into the tool.
How to enlarge a photo – enlarging a photograph can include quite a few options, all of which are fairly important depending on the where the finished image is going to be delivered. This is a fairly detailed tutorial that takes you through the vast majority of key considerations and includes several video features and screenshots to illustrate the concepts.
How to Photograph White Wine on a Perfectly White Background – great product photography is an art form all to itself, and for those photographers who like to shoot wine bottles against a pure white background, this video tutorial is for you. In just under 9 minutes, this presentation will give you some great foundational lighting concepts you can immediately apply to your own work.
Get Stunning Starry Photos with this Easy Astrophotography Tutorial – this is a terrific primer tutorial that includes a short video presentation that is sure to quickly get you up to speed on how to easily capture shots at night with great stars in the sky. These simple to follow tips and a well-done video remove some of the guesswork in getting started with this exciting genre of photography.
5 Ways to Change the Color of Anything in Photoshop – being able to absolutely control colour in a picture is not always possible on location and in camera. This video tutorial is over 20 minutes long and covers 5 different techniques for performing this function inside Photoshop in post-production.
How to Add a Lovely Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop – learn how to add a realistic looking rim light effect in post-production in Photoshop with this video tutorial that is almost 22 minutes in length. This in-depth presentation takes you through all the core aspects of applying this technique and shows you in a step-by-step manner from within Photoshop how each part of the process interacts with the image as it’s being worked on.
How to Improve Your Food Photography on Instagram – for those who love to create and share great food photography, this brief article is for you. This tutorial covers three key tips for great shots that are sure to appeal to many who use Instagram on a regular basis.
GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY
Red Barn – Steptoe Butte State Park, Washington – this is one of those shots that could just as easily be a painting as it is a photograph. Len Saltiel takes us to a well-known region in the northwest area of the United States where the bucolic is the norm as he shares a great landscape image with a red barn.
Playa Gueirua – we head over to Spain for this photograph from Lars van de Goor that features what appears to be an oceanside landscape with alien looking rock formations. The cinematic feel introduced in this shot in post-production adds to the otherworldly and dramatic feel of the picture.
Beating A Dead Horse – thankfully no horses, alive or dead, were harmed in the making of this epic shot by Michael Criswell who encountered this amazing landscape early one morning while out on a photo expedition with friends. The photograph features the never-ending landscapes of Dead Horse Point State Park as beautiful colours from the sunrise grace the vista creating a breathtaking scene.
Lake bled on a calm winter day – Lake Bled is inarguably one of the most picturesque places on earth, with a tiny island in the centre that is home to an ancient monastery and a series of mountains that encircle the lake itself. This shot from Johannes Hulsch was captured in the heart of winter as we see the mountains are all covered in a thick blanket of snow.
The Yellow Dory – artistic tension almost literally drips from this incredible scene captured by Bob Lussier one very, very cold day. This shot has a wooden dory boat moored, surrounded by “sea smoke”, a phenomenon created by the convergence of ice cold air and waters.
~ The Beat of Dawn II ~ – over the years I have seen many different versions of pictures of this bridge, and this one, in particular, stands out. David Gomes captures a stunning photograph using the bridge as a great leading line, all under the vibrant colours of a sky just emerging into daylight in a new day.
Sentinels – Vancouver Island photographer Ehpem captures a stunning shot of a seascape with a storm drain leading out into the ocean acting as a perfect leading line into the frame. He shares two renditions of this shot, one in colour and the other in black-and-white, creating a post the reveals the vast differences in feel you can create with the same scene.
Moravian ribbon – the incredible landscapes of this part of the world take on a highly abstract form in this photograph by Daniel Řeřicha. In this shot we see a ribbon of green bespeckled with an interesting row of trees surrounded by a brown earthen landscape, which at first glance looks like an abstract painting, and only by spending a bit of time with the image do we see the photograph take form.
the Great Lakes sunrise – check out this carefully processed landscape shot from Frank King that reveals an early morning sunrise that is casting incredible colours upon the scene below. The shore and trees create a silhouette against the incredible sky that perfectly finished off this image just.
Der spektakuläre Gullfoss – the inherent drama and beauty that can only be found in Iceland comes to life in this amazing picture from Urs Schmidli. The true scale of these well-known waterfalls is somewhat disguised in this composition until you take a very close look and see the people standing near the edge for much-needed context.
Off Limits – the fan of great urbex themed photographs will not want to miss this picture in this weeks list, a shot that Bob Lussier had to go off-limits for to see and capture. In this photograph, we have a long abandoned and dilapidated staircase in a decaying hospital facility in Berlin, Germany that exhibits incredible light streaming down from above as the remains of the staircase draw you into the picture.
CLTRV I – an architectural study focuses on the natural lines and shapes of the underground station in this great black-and-white picture from Christophe Staelens. The shot delivers an added form of interest in the way the staircase featured in the centre of the frame leads upwards and into a vanishing point.
This I like – Diane Schuller is a terrific Vancouver Island-based photographer with an eye that is completely unique. This post features a small collection of shots of various things that she likes, as the title aptly states, and each one shared here can stand alone for their visual integrity, yet come together in a great set.
*** – bring along some snowshoes, a thick coat and other needed supplies before heading into this photograph that has a pair of boats moored to a pier as a thick snowfall envelops the region. Ed Gordeev’s shot does a great job of capturing the essence of the cold day in a picture as you admire the beauty that nature creates in a weather event.
Bird in the Hand – many may wonder about the bird in the bush given this title, yet you won’t be disappointed when you see this great photograph from Wayne Beauregard. Beech Forest in Provincetown, MA (Cape Cod) is apparently (or was if the news in this post is about to come true) a great spot to visit for enthusiasts who love songbirds to have a chance to feed them directly from your hand. As a results of this experience, Wayne captures a great shot of a chickadee sitting on his wife’s hand.
Cinderella's Castle – Alexander Riek uses an elongated shutter to capture the wonderful details of this great castle in East Germany as rich tones cover the entire scene in golden light. The waters that surround the castle take on a silky look from the long exposure, adding a perfect finishing touch.
Passing By – Bug Light, South Portland, Maine – the shoreline leads you into this frame where a small but terrific white lighthouse sits on the edge looking out towards the ocean. Len Saltiel’s shot here was timed perfectly to also include a grand sailboat as it made it’s way past the point, creating a perfect addition to the composition.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo – I have no clue where this shot from Maxim K. was taken, however, a close inspection reveals a ribbon of roadway that cuts through the landscape adding a leading line and creating context to reveal the size of the formations that create the main subjects. This snow-covered scene reveals snow-capped mountains covered in thick clouds that take on a dramatically alien look in their natural beauty.
Sunrise in Rothenburg – Jim Nix comes away from this character town in Germany with an awesome early morning shot that really showcases the great old architecture of the community. Jim’s careful processing brings out the great details of the town, creating a picture that is an instant classic.
Blizzard – another snow-covered shot is featured in this week’s list, this one from Kai Ziehl taken from a low perspective on a bridge as a person walks away from the camera. The black-and-white processing used to finish this image accents the rich artistic tension that also is served perfectly by the bridge spans that create a frame into the pictured scene.
1 Comment
I am blown away. Thank you kindly for including me among this amazing line up of talented photographers. I was visiting each of the links and then suddenly came across one of mine!