Some Photography Articles and Images You Won’t Want to Miss

The online photography community has been very busy and active lately, and Toad Hollow Photography has been searching for links to the best articles and images to share with everyone here.  Ranging from controversial to cute pictures of wildlife, this week's list takes a look at some of the best the internet has to offer in the field.  We really hope you enjoy checking out this weeks list as much as the Toad did in creating it for you.

TUTORIALS

How to Remove Tourists/People From Your Photos – Jimmy McIntrye creates a terrific tutorial here discussing a problem many of us have faced in the field, that is unwanted people and traffic in a shot.  Jimmy delivers both a written overview on how to do this as well as a 5 minute video tutorial, creating two distinct learning paths for the visitor.

Sky Replacement of Complex Subjects – this step-by-step tutorial takes you through the entire process of replacing the sky and producing a natural looking result in post-processing.  The fine attention to details results in a procedure that can be applied in many different ways on different types of images, expanding your image post-processing repertoire rather nicely.

5 Tips To Get The Best Sport Shots – a simple list of very useful tips and tricks for capturing stunning sports themed photography, written and posted by Joe Farace.  Joe includes a few shots with this list to illustrate the key points and showcase some terrific examples of this genre.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Colts Photos – 11 year old Colt Francis happens to love animals as much as he loves photography.  Recently featured in the local news, he is gaining widespread attention for the wonderful imagery he creates of animals in need of love and rescue.  It’s easy to see where his future lies!

On SAFARI – Hyenas and Wild Dogs – nature isn’t always about gorgeous landscapes and vibrant sunrises and sunsets, sometimes it’s a little raw.  This terrific video production by John Mead takes us along as he is on SAFARI in Africa where a pack of wild dogs have taken down an impala for dinner, only to find themselves in the middle of a pack of hyenas who have other plans.  Warning: some of the footage of the dogs and hyenas eating their catch is a bit graphic.

A Unique Timelapse Video Of European Architecture Comprised Of Thousands Of Photos – Luke Shepard visits 36 cities with his project that captures incredible time lapse images of some of mankind's greatest architectural achievements.  The compositions used to create this highly dynamic presentation highlights some of the epic details and textures found in these facilities.  Luke does a great job of thoroughly exploring both ancient and modern buildings, and the resulting video is sure to capture the minds and hearts of everyone.

The Good Nauheim ~ Glen Springs Sanitarium – A.D. Wheeler creates another of his special features that takes a detailed and deep look at an abandoned facility.  This time we visit a long forgotten sanitarium where A.D. does and exhaustive photography study of it’s remains, creating a compelling and profound post sure to leave everyone with personal thoughts and feelings.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Denali Alpenglow – Ron Niebrugge showcases the incredible rugged beauty of the Alaska wilderness.  Beautiful summer flowers in the foreground of the frame create a perfect anchor for the majestic snow-covered mountains in the backdrop to really showcase the dramatic landscapes found in this part of the world.

Million Dollar Highway – beautiful colors in the bright summers day work in harmony with the other key elements in this photograph to deliver a stunning image.  In the distance, commanding mountains peek above the green forests, and a great natural line leads the viewer to this spot with a vanishing point created by a fabulous ribbon of highway.  A wonderful photograph by Chris Frailey.

The Fee Gletscher – the incredible beauty of glaciers and high mountain peaks are explored in this great post by Andy Hooker (LensScaper).  As the glacier continues to crawl ever downward, it leaves behind formations that create great natural shapes and lines, as well as other natural formations that really express the raw beauty of the area.

Puffin – this great profile shot of a puffin standing with some food in it’s mouth is captured in Iceland by Giancarlo Bisone.  The great details in the bird come to life with this picture, sharing a little of it’s true spirit and character with the viewer.

Athabasca River – blue waters found in the epic Canadian Rockies flow fast and furious down the Athabasca River in this elevated photograph created by Mary Koutzarov.  As we look down at the raging waters running below, the rugged landscape and beautiful forests blend with the fast-moving river to take the viewer away to a spot in heaven.

The Winding Staircase – this black-and-white shot taken inside the Art Institute of Chicago highlights the wonderful lines and shapes created in the architectural design of a winding staircase.  Steve Simon finds and captures a scene with fabulous contrast in it, creating a sense of dimension that finds further interest and context in two people standing on the stairs.

Remember the Dawn – incredible colors in the morning sky compliment the surroundings perfectly in this photograph by CJ Schmit.  Vibrant purples and blues work in harmony with the silhouettes of the remnants of a pier in the water to deliver a serene and compelling image, all finished off wonderfully by the long exposure and the effect it creates of smoothing out the waters.

Historic Front Royal Virginia – a pair of photographs is presented here by Rachel Cohen, showcasing two distinct examples of architecture in Front Royal Virginia.  Terrific details come to life in this short set, really making for a post that displays the lovely old and rustic feel of this part of the United States.

Kirkjufell Sunset … – the breathtaking landscapes of Iceland come to life in this breathtaking image by Iurie Belegurschi.  Incredible waterfalls come in frame left, leading the viewer into the heart of the vista which reveals incredible mountains and beautiful colors in the sky.  Terrific details in this shot captivate the mind, taking you deeper and deeper into the picture.

my summer visitor! – an incredible macro photograph of a blue dragonfly takes us close and personal to this flying creature.  Brenda Widdess captures a great shot with a very shallow depth-of-focus that does a stellar job of isolating the dragonfly from it’s backdrop, really making it jump right out of the monitor.

Eagle Takes Flight – eagle’s are one of my all-time favorite birds, there’s something extraordinary about them.  Rob Nopola captures a terrific shot of one right after it takes off, showcasing the grandeur and drama of this amazing creature in flight.

School’s Out, Bigthes! – fans of urbex photography will love this post by Rob Hanson.  Rob finds a long forgotten elementary school in his area and heads back to capture this shot, all alone.  Time has not been kind to this school, nor have vandals, leaving Rob with a poignant composition and resulting image to share.

St. Mary’s Pipe Organ Loft and Clock – Mark Garbowski takes us inside St. Mary’s church to take in the beautiful old pipes on the pipe organ and the terrific clock that adorns the facade of the overlook from the loft into the main area of the church itself.  Great tones and details in both the woodwork and the pipes of the organ really make this image stand out.

Zeeland bridge Netherlands – a monochromatic study of shapes, lines and evocative emotion is explored in this great black-and-white shot by Kees Smans.  This incredible bridge finds itself completely cloaked in a veil of fog, and Kees’ composition leverages this by naturally leading the eye through the frame by following the bridge, resulting in a picture full of natural artistic tension.

Ghost Anglers – I just love the natural tension found in this great shot by Jim Denham.  An old wooden pier leads the viewer out towards the body of water where we find a pair of gentlemen fishing.  The sharp contrasts from the black-and-white treatment Jim used to create this piece finds ultimate harmony with the key elements to share a really poignant image.

shy little poser . . . – an incredible little owl sits perched on a limb sits in the sun taking in the lovely day.  This wonderful image by dragonflydreams88 really showcases the terrific personality in these birds, delivering a special portrait sure to be enjoyed by wildlife lovers world-wide.

Landing – Christopher Wray captures a compelling shot of a bee making it’s way in on a landing onto a waiting flower.  The shallow depth-of-focus used in creating this shot really makes the flighted friend stand out against it’s natural backdrop, really allowing the little bee to pop right out of the screen for the visitor.

Assiniboine Vista – the commanding beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains is explored in this shot captured from a slightly elevated perch.  The absolutely incredible natural colors in the lakes and waters in the park add a great dimension to the vista, culminating in the vast and dramatic mountains that make up the backdrop.

Bear Toys – a wonderful, wonderful photograph of a young bear playing in the Alaska wilderness, as captured and shared here by Ron Niebrugge.  Ron’s perfectly timed shot conveys the true spirit and character of this little fellow at play, immersing the viewer right into the scene as it unfolded.

INTERESTING BLOGS

Spilling oil in Paradise – Athit Perawongmetha creates a photo-exposition that features a recent large oil spill at Ao Prao Beach, Thailand.  The images and story converge in this piece to deliver a sad tale of how a catastrophe of this nature can turn what once was a picture-perfect resort area into a wasteland of people trying to combat the effects of the encroaching oil.