Many of us really enjoy everything that photography has to offer in today's world. There are many writers and photographers participating in the field by creating terrific content for enthusiasts to enjoy, and Toad Hollow Photography loves looking for links to tutorials, special features and great photography to share.
We really hope you enjoy this week's wide variety of links as much as the Toad did in bringing it to you.
TUTORIALS
Understanding The Decisive Moment – Henri Cartier-Bresson is widely considered to be the most profound and prolific candid street photographer of the modern age, with his deep catalog of shots featuring candid moments that speak to the viewer in a personal way. This article posted here on Light Stalking discusses the term “the decisive moment”, and the impact mastery of the concept can have on street and candid photography.
Ten Shortcuts for Working With Layer Masks in Photoshop – shortcuts are powerful things to learn and master for anyone who works a lot in Photoshop as they can significantly shorten the time required to perform certain actions. This video tutorial shows us a handful of shortcuts for using layer masks and is sure to help smooth out your own workflow.
How to Photograph a Moonrise and Moonset – photographing a full moon can be quite exhilarating as we see this orbiting body in a new context that is quite beautiful. This short video shows you how to plan for and capture amazing shots of the moon as it rises and sets.
How to Get the “Sunburst” in Landscape Photography – this short article includes 4 great sample shots that show you the results you can expect in your own photographs when using this simple technique. The effect of sun rays in a shot can be quite dramatic and beautiful and can lend a totally different feel to the image.
Landscape Photography Tips (For Smartphone Users) – the best camera for the shot is the one you have on you, and in today’s day and age you are almost guaranteed to have at least your cell phone with you. Modern phones have amazing cameras that can produce great photographs if you know how best to leverage them, and this short article will help get you started with key considerations.
How to Photograph Sunsets – get the most out of your sunrise and sunset photography opportunities with this tutorial that talks about some of the basic concepts to understand as you head outdoors on your personal photography adventure. The sample shots that are included here are quite beautiful and are sure to inspire you to head out to capture your own.
5 Key Elements that Directly Impact the Quality of Your Photography – some of these tips may seem obvious to many photographers, but overall there are some great nuggets of wisdom and practical ideas in this post that will help you get the most out of your photographs. Each of the key points talked about here include great photographs that show you how to apply the idea, and what you can expect to see in your completed images.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Spectacular Travel Landscape Photography by Altug Galip – the fan of travel and travel themed photography will love this collection of shots exhibited on this site. These pictures cover a wide variety of locations and image subjects, and as a collection really show off the amazing beauty and wonder of our world.
This dizzying timelapse was shot by a drone flying in huge circles – check out this sort amazing video feature that uses a very unique technique referred to as “orbital drone-lapses”. This technique employs a drone circling around a subject and produced as a timelapse, sharing a great new perspective of the subject in question.
Adam Jesionkiewicz’s Astrophotography Captures Beautiful Nebulas – let’s head out into deep space with this amazing series of photographs that capture the natural beauty of the extended universe that is beyond our typical short reach. By using specialized cameras and telescopes, Adam is able to capture breathtaking photographs of nebulas and other celestial objects that reveal a look at the universe we live in.
This Architectural Photo Series Plays with Unconventional Angles to Form Unique Perspectives – this amazing series of shots draws you into them by using unusual lines and angles along with specific poses of an urban gymnast to create pictures that seem to defy the laws of gravity. The photographs posted all exhibit incredible artistic tension as your eye takes them in and tries to make sense of what you are looking at, making for a supremely interesting set of images to check out in detail.
These photos show how the exact same location changes during different times of the year – I have several spots in my area that I like to visit repeatedly over the course of a year as the light and seasons change. The results are almost always astounding as the entire character of the location changes as the seasons change. This series of photographs focuses on this concept in a terrific way as Albert Dros shares the changing personality of a location over time.
GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY
Mother Bear and Cub – Alaska is the perfect place to go to find wonderful landscapes and incredible wildlife roaming the meadows and mountains of the region. This shot was selected as Photo Of The Day and features a momma bear and her cute little cub as they prowl about the local world they know as home.
Lost in Iceland – a beautiful and alluring snow-covered landscape has beautiful colors crossing it’s surface as a long exposure turns the icy waterfall into a silky texture in this gorgeous shot from Daniel Vorkauf. The entire shot reveals a look at this remote spot on earth that gives it a distinctly otherworldly feel, showing off all the natural beauty of this rugged location.
Villa Germaine, Belgium – I never cease to be amazed at the scenes that can sometimes be found in abandoned buildings and homes, particularly when these scenes seem to depict that whoever lived or used the space before simply up and left leaving everything behind intact. This is what we appear to see in this epic photography collage taken inside a long-forgotten home in Europe, with furnishings and decorations left behind as if the owners expect to return any moment. This terrific feature comes to us from Obsidian Urbex Photography.
The Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, Canada – captured at night using a portrait orientation, this great cityscape shot from Mindz.eye shares a look at the dramatic city skyline of Vancouver, BC. In the distance, a mountain is gently lit for effect, and the dominant bridge in the shot forms a perfect leading line into the heart of the frame for maximum overall effect.
Dune – Death Valley National Park, California – Len Saltiel begins his adventure before the break of dawn as he heads out into the desert dunes of Death Valley National Park one morning. This shot was taken just as the sun began to rise, creating dramatic shadows in the undulating patterns in the rolling sand dunes that reveal the natural texture of the sand formations.
古老的鱼民 – the cormorant fishermen of China use practices that go back countless generations, making for perfect photography subjects that take on a distinct look from times long past. This wonderful image from Daniel Metz reveals an iconic fisherman in his boat, along with his two birds perched as beautiful colors in the sky create dramatic silhouettes of the surrounding landscape.
Bear Trip Opening! – prepare to have your heart melted as you see a beautiful Brown Bear mom looking out over the meadows as her young cub perches on her shoulders looking straight at the camera. Ron Niebrugge’s bear photo excursions must be an amazing experience, and I would love to have a chance to join him one day, especially if we would get to see such incredible bears in their natural habitats.
Straight to the arch – this great cityscape shot of Paris focuses on primarily orange and blue color palettes, creating a strong and cinematic feel of the composition that reveals some of the architectural wonders of the city. Manjik photography also includes some terrific light trails from traffic for a sense of dynamic motion to finish the shot off perfectly.
That glorious graffiti in London – check out this amazing photograph that features urban artistic expressionism in London, captured by Jim Nix on one of his visits to the iconic city. The myriad colors and designs that are found here are wonderful expressions of contemporary art.
The kiss – it’s all about the composition with this shot from edithnero that has two flowers that appear to face each other and kiss in a distinctly human way. The delicate beauty of the flowers coupled with the color palette used in this shot makes for a very unique picture that entices a sense of love from the viewer.
Gateway Motel – Michael Criswell delivers a pair of great urbex themed shots captured at a motel that has long been without guests. Michael’s research indicates that the facility has likely been abandoned since 2010, which would explain the rich patina and weathering we see in the structure as nature works to reclaim the land.
In the Opera – all photography fans who love abstract architectural images that exhibit strong geometrical features will love this black-and-white shot from Michael Kendziorra. This shot looks upwards at the dome and takes advantage of the circular balconies to create a natural vanishing point at the top of the structure.
Capitol In Bloom – Scott Wood shares a classic shot in this post featuring the Washington State Capitol building in Olympia as the spring flowers are in full bloom. The blending of beauty from the flowers and plants are are springing to life as the weather improves at this time of year against the backdrop of the dramatic architecture of the Capitol building itself makes for a truly compelling shot.
Coastlines – I am fairly certain we are looking at a straight down perspective of a shoreline captured with a drone in this beautiful image from Tobias Hägg. The natural textures of the shoreline work in perfect harmony with the azure blue waters to create a layered photograph with great and compelling natural details.
Gaulding Cay, Eleuthera, Bahamas – the beauty of the Bahamas is shown in this rather minimalistic shot captured and shared by Mark Paulson who sees and composes this simple frame that includes a predominantly blue sky and ocean waters along with a strip of rock with some trees growing. The lack of context along with the details in the rocky tree outcrop are the main elements in this great shot.
匆匆 – 宫城飞雪 captures and shares a great shot here that features terrific artistic tension in the silhouettes of people making their way back and forth across a wooden bridge structure. The profiles of the people are offset by the pastel tones in the sky and the shapes of birds floating around in the air in the backdrop.
Finn’s First Passover – I love how this photograph combines the elements of a great dog portrait coupled with some very clever visual humor. Edith Levy captured this shot of a dog (her dog?) sitting at a table in full clothing, including a nice tie, and looking quite like he’s ready to partake in the festivities that are about to unfold.
The Dark Side – this bridge is a true architectural wonder, seemingly crossing an endless ocean out into nothingness and creating a terrific subject in terms of a leading line for photographers. This rendition of the composition comes to us from Ricardo Mateus who creates and delivers this shot as a high contrast black-and-white long exposure shot to really take advantage of the raw drama of the structure in its setting.
1 Comment
Some great sites, thanks. Love to make your list someday.