It has been another terrific week in the world of photography, with photographers and writers from all corners of the internet with a wide variety of interests posting new pictures and articles.
This week's set of links comes to us from Toad Hollow Photography who carefully hand-curated this list to include the very best links they were able to find. We really hope you enjoy checking all these great sites out as much as the Toad did in bringing this list to you.
TUTORIALS
5 Surprisingly Simple Tips For Stunning Black And White Portraits – shooting in black-and-white requires a totally different technique than shooting in color if you are hoping to create amazing images in monochrome. This article shares 5 tips that are crucial to achieving the desired goals, and they provide a great set of basic concepts to help you with your own photography.
All About Shooting Landscape Images With Your Drone – capturing landscape shots from an elevated perspective can be a game changer for landscape photographers, and this is typically done these days by using a drone. This 16-minute video takes us through a series of key steps that will help you in getting airborne and capture some stunning images.
An Easy Way to Compose Landscape Photos at Night – composing photographs while shooting outdoors in the middle of the night can be a tad bit challenging as a long exposure time reveals a scene that just isn’t visible to the naked eye. This brief article talks about using an extreme ISO for composing the image and then stepping that back down to a reasonable number to capture the actual photo.
12 useful Photoshop shortcuts you probably don't know – learning keyboard shortcuts for Photoshop can be key for people who do a lot of post-production in this tool as they can be a massive timesaver. This video tutorial takes us through a handful of these shortcuts, allowing you to complete your tasks as quickly and easily as possible.
21 Photography Tips All Beginners Should Know – getting a great start with your photography is key to your long-term enjoyment of the activity as you get feedback and learn something every time you press the shutter. This primer article is full of great tips that will help with setting up a strong foundation to draw upon for years to come.
How I Shot This Edgy Couple Silhouette Portrait With a Single Speedlight – this tutorial covers all the key concepts that went into creating a specific dramatic portrait of a couple. The end result is a stunning image that delivers a highly contrasted piece full of interest.
Tips for Better Composition in Landscape Photography – a pair of tutorial videos from two different landscape photographers is presented in this feature post, allowing you to learn from two distinct sources and combine the bits and pieces that work best for you. The first video is just over 16 minutes long and the second is around 25 minutes, giving you a fairly in-depth look at how to take your landscape shots to the next level.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Eerie images show abandoned hotels, schools and strip clubs that have been left to rack and ruin in Japan – there is something distinctly haunting about scenes that are full of signs of natural decay as our imaginations run wild trying to process the backstory behind what we see. This incredible collection of photographs is a terrific example of urbex themed photography from locations all over Japan that are slowly sliding into memory as places long forgotten.
Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards – in pictures – we dare you to check out this collection of photographs and not find yourself chuckling at the amazing ways animals in their natural habitats express themselves. With everything that is going on in the world today, it is a pure delight to see a series of images like this that are truly heartwarming.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018: 10 Astonishing Shots We Loved – the natural world is full of wonder for the avid nature photography enthusiast and in this collection of photographs we see and enjoy a great selection of photographs from this genre. There is a wide variety of images included in this post that features some of the best images encountered by this publication over the year.
Wild Icelandic Landscapes As You've Never Seen Them – a terrific set of abstract images is displayed here created by a photographer who composited several images into one for each image exhibited. By using the natural geometry of the landscape along with natural features that align, this set reveals a look of Iceland that you have never seen before.
NASA shared these chilling images of Hurricane Florence from space – as Hurricane Florence marches steadily towards the east coast of the United States this week, we all hope that everyone who is on this coast fares well as the gigantic storm passes through. This series of shots of this epic storm comes to us from NASA and showcases the incredible fury that nature holds over us all.
GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY
Dubai city – I’ve enjoyed many different perspectives of the city of Dubai in photography over the years, many of the shots captured from extremely elevated perspectives to showcase the scale and wonder of the city below. This shot from Manjik photography comes at us from a different angle, this one shot from under a sweeping bridge that creates an awesome leading line into the heart of the city in the distance where the real star of the show is the amazing Burj Khalifa building.
Beelitz Heilstätten, Germany – Obsidian Urbex Photography brings us a stunning series of photographs captured in a long-abandoned hospital complex in Germany that once covered countless hectares of land with dramatic facilities intended to help those convalescing. The dramatic architecture of the buildings exudes a bit of a dark feel to them, particularly when encountered like this with the effects of years of natural weathering evident.
Li river fishermen – the cormorant fishermen of the Li River in China are world famous for the way they present themselves in a modern world. Reaching back across countless generations, this form of fishing is almost as old as the amazing mountains that encircle them, captured perfectly and eloquently here by Daniel Metz.
Last Frame: Bears At Play – this heartwarming shot features a pair of small bear cubs at play in the early morning as the first rays of light dance across their home, creating strong silhouettes of the bears as they pretend to be rather fierce with each other. This shot is full of awesome artistic tension as their outlines cut through the silver colors of their habitat at this time of day.
Canadien dream – Spirit Island on Maligne Lake in the Canadian Rockies is one of the most well-known spots in the park for stunning photography opportunities that focus on the beautiful trees that live on the tiny island just offshore. Johannes Hulsch delivers a breathtaking shot of this spot that also includes the majestic mountains as a backdrop to add context and depth.
For Sale – Million Dollar Highway, Colorado – Len Saltiel uses a portrait orientation to capture this autumn themed shot in the Colorado wilds. The beautiful colors of the fall foliage work perfectly with the textured wood structure found at the foot of the mountain, adding a perfect anchor for this shot.
Carnival essence – Vicente Concha takes us to a lively celebration in Spain where incredibly dressed dancers perform for the gathering crowds. Vincente uses a very shallow depth-of-focus for this shot, delivering a remarkable look at the great details that comprise the outfit of one of the dancers.
Rocks and Waves – timing is everything for many great photographs, as we see here in this wondrous shot captured on the shores of the ocean as waves crash upon the shores. Evan Gearing takes this picture at just the right moment as a dramatic wave crests over itself and falls upon the rocks on the shore, sharing all the dynamic power that was evident at this split-second in time.
Cherry Hill Farmhouse – Mark Summerfield shares a set of shots of a beautiful historic farmhouse in Virginia built in 1845. Today it stands as a house museum in the area, helping to preserve the memories and history of the region.
I'm walking….. – there is no other real way to describe the subject in this photo beyond calling it utterly adorable. Tanja Brandt captures a perfect shot of a small owl marching it’s way across a sandy surface with a very serious look on its face, making for a really delightful image in this weeks list.
Walking around the perimeter – Andy Hooker (LensScaper) creates a terrific monochromatic study of lines, light , nd shadow with this great shot. The various aspects of the composition all converge in this shot to create an almost abstract piece sure to be enjoyed by those who appreciate lines and shapes in imagery.
Street scene, Tokyo – Yoshiro Ishii uses a portrait format to capture this shot of a fabulous street scene in Japan as a man walks through the narrow walkway. Beautifully colored flowers adorn the scene, accenting the terrific symbols and details that are found throughout the image.
Rock the Foundation – CJ Schmit creates a dark and brooding piece with this shot that features the remains of a stone building in stark surroundings. CJ uses black-and-white in the final creation of this shot, highlighting the inherent drama and artistic tension of a scene that leaves the viewer with a series of unanswered questions.
Shadows – a strong frame can be a powerful compositional tool when it comes to creating and sharing incredible images, as we see here in this shot from Doug Shearer. A grove of Cypress trees lines the pathway that leads you through the frame and the warm toned natural light streaming in from frame left casts great shadows for added interest.
the awesome atmosphere of worship – the incredible interior of a cathedral on the very easterly coast of Canada is showcased in this post from Frank King. The beauty of the details found in this Irish cathedral that was originally built in 1855 reflects the care and attention the architects used to design this amazing space.
Morning Star – as morning begins to creep up over the horizon, bringing landscape details to life in the form of silhouettes, a bright star lingers in the sky. Martin Rak’s also features a terrific lone tree perched on the cliff’s edge as your eye wanders outwards towards the first vestiges of colorful light in the morning sky.
Arcachon – Mathias Lucas uses his unique style to bring all the great stories found in the area to our screens with compelling compositions and light. This is a terrific series of shots taken at this seaside resort in France brought together as a collection to share the great character found on the sides of the shore.
Castle Ruin – a millenia must have passed since what remains of this long forgotten castle were once inhabited in this moody and ethereal shot from Kilian Schönberger. A thick fog covers the rocky landscape that surrounds what is left of the castle, adding to the cinematic feel of the picture.
