Blog Archive

The Nikon Z9 blends the best of the Nikon D6 & the Z7ii and is Nikon’s first mirrorless camera with dynamic autofocus. The Nikon Z9 is the future of photography.

The legendary Nikon F is an iconic camera and Nikon’s first 35mm SLR. It was introduced in 1959 and was revolutionary with its wide range of lenses that had focal lengths from 21mm to 1000mm.

The magic of developing your own film is something that every photographer should experience. It really connects you to the images that you capture and it is easier than you might think.

I tested the Nikon D6’s autofocus, frame rate and high ISO in comparison to the D850, D4S and D500. The D6 did not disappoint and its customization capability was one of my favourite things.

The minimum focusing distance isn’t the distance from the front of your lens to your subject. It is actually the distance from your camera’s sensor to your subject. This is extremely important when it comes to your lens choice for macro photography.

Using multiple flashes with gels is a fantastic way to create incredibly lit portraits that stand out. You will need some extra flashes and other equipment.

How well does a 30 year lens work on the Nikon Df? The Nikon 28mm f2.8 AIS lens is one of the best wide angle manual focus lenses Nikon has ever made. I went out to capture light and shadows to find out for myself.

The Nikon Z7ii’s face and eye detection autofocus is the next evolution of AF in Nikon cameras. Pair that with the In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) and this is a camera I would love to own.

How well does the Nikon Z7ii has an animal eye detection autofocus system work? It works differently depending on how your pet looks and if they are moving or still.

Nikon Z7ii real world tests using eye detection Autofocus Testing: 1.Portraits with an f1.4 lens 2.Groups of people 3.Moving subjects playing sports

The Nikon Z7ii is a top of the line mirrorless camera packed with features. The autofocus system is incredible. It may be time for my first mirrorless camera.

Understanding colour temperature and white balance will make you a better photographer. For ultimate control shoot RAW files so you can adjust the white balance of your images in post production.

Capturing an environmental portrait involves getting inspiration, pre-planning, remixing ideas, being flexible and reflecting. A few simple things will greatly improve your images.

Every pet owner loves having beautiful photos of their pets. Keep things simple and let your pets guide you to natural images. No fancy lighting or studio setting is needed.

To learn how to edit your photos you need to understand the different image adjustment options and how they affect your image. The best way to do this is to use the Photos app and learn how each adjustment affects your image’s histogram.

There are a number of #macro flash options from a DIY cardboard flash diffuser to specialized macro flashes. The results may surprise you.

Deliberately skewing your angle when capturing an image gives a different look and can add tension into your image.

Let’s look at how to transform a good photo to a great photo. Often, the difference between a good image and a great one is the smallest of details. Sometimes it is just that little difference in the person’s expression…

What makes a great panoramic photo? A great panoramic photo all starts with the camera. If you haven’t seen Part 1, A Camera Love Story that Was Never Meant to Be, make sure you check it out. I talk about…

Part 1 – Love at First Sight When the Hasselblad Xpan was first released in 1998, I instantly fell in love with it and wanted one. It was such a unique rangefinder camera that captured panoramic images on 35mm film….

There are patterns everywhere we look. We may see them in the smallest things like the wings of a butterfly. Or we might be able to see patterns in much larger objects like city buildings. The fact is that patterns…

The Sketching with your camera challenge will help you to capture the best possible image of the scene in front of you. You may like what you are seeing but you may not know what image to capture. Or, you…

We have already looked at the first four elements of design: line, shape, form and texture. Let’s explore the role that light plays exposing shape, form and texture. See for Yourself To understand the role that light plays in the…

As I mentioned in a previous post, I love macro photography. A macro lens opens up a whole different world and I love exploring that world. So much so that I own a number of macro lenses. I have the…

We have already looked at the first three elements of design. The first element of design is line which is the building block of all the other elements. When you enclose a line you get the second element of design,…

When I got my first SLR camera and started learning about different lenses, I loved the uniqueness of a fisheye lens. My first fisheye lens was the Nikon 16mm F2.8 Fisheye. It captures 180 degrees horizontal fields of view and…

We have already looked at the first element of design, line, which is the foundation for all the elements. We have also examined what happens when you enclose a line and get the second element of design, shape. The third…

One of the best places you can learn to be a better wildlife photographer is at your local park. Some lessons to learn include: be prepared beforehand, be patient when looking for animals, be flexible with your subject choice and composition and persevere when things aren’t going your way.

The second element of design is shape. A shape is made up of an enclosed line and is best captured with backlighting.

A camera obscura forces you to slow down & carefully compose your image. To capture the image you need to photograph the glass viewing plate. In this challenge I explored Singapore’s Chinatown at Chinese New Year with my camera obscura.

Lines are the basis of all the elements of design as it is the simplest and it is the building block for all of the other elements. There are many different types of lines like, vertical, horizontal, curved, diagonal. They can elicit different feelings in the viewer.

How to Successfully Shoot High Speed Film at Night. I used #KodakTMax3200, a #NikonF6, 24mm F1.4 & 105mm F1.4 to capture #Singapore at night.

Horizontal photos elicit feelings of calmness, tranquility or serenity & vertical photos tend to give a sense of strength and possibly tension

A picture is worth a 1000 words. But you can tell a more complete story with more pictures. In this challenge I limited myself to only capture 6 images to tell the story of a temple. I tried to include shots that set the scene and some details to help the viewer have a better sense of the story I was trying to tell.

In a previous post, we explored creating a symmetrical image where both sides of the image are identical. This time we will explore and add the skill of reflections to your toolkit. A reflection can be a symmetrical but it…

Create amazing multiple exposure portraits directly in your camera. No need for Photoshop or other apps. Simply use image overlay.

A great way to turn snapshots into more compelling images is to add foreground interest. Foreground interest is when there is something between you and what is in the background.

Check out the 5 images from this year’s photography challenges that highlight my learning and how they have made me a better photographer.

The 50mm lens isn’t a lens that photographers dream about. This ‘boring’ lens is between a wide angle and telephoto but that defining feature is precisely its strength.

A macro lens allows you to get close, find and capture images that you couldn’t otherwise photograph. I used the Nikon 105mm macro lens just outside my front door in this Photography Toolkit Challenge.

Understanding focal lengths is incredibly important in photography. You need to understand how different focal lengths see the world because that will enable you to choose the best focal length for your image.

Capturing the blur of movement is one of the most important tools in your Photography Toolkit. I challenged myself to capture movement in this Photography Toolkit Challenge.

Use a slower shutter speed and point your camera with a wide angle lens in the direction you are moving and you will capture the blur of the world passing by you.

You probably won’t have the right lens for the scene in front of you. And that is the beauty of the single lens challenge. You have to try to make the lens you have work for every situation you encounter….

A long exposure captures the blur of monks moving past a woman sitting down giving alms

What is it like to see the world in black and white instead of in colour? That is what I set out to do in this challenge.

When you follow your subject as it moves across the frame and use a slow shutter speed you can get a blurred background and a sharp subject. This is called panning and it can result in amazing images that really stand out.

Can shooting film make you a better photographer? Absolutely it can! While there are benefits to learning with a digital camera, I think everyone should grab a roll of film once in a while and go out and capture some images.

When using the rule of thirds, we don’t put out subject in the middle of the frame. We put our subject off to one side and, as a result, the two halves of the image are different. That means that…

Infrared images have a magic quality to them. They are almost otherworldly. Green foliage turns white and skies go dark. It a a wonderful world to explore which can make ordinary images extraordinary.

Instead of looking for a subject to photograph, I allow the light to guide me to my image. I am on the lookout for light and examining how it is interacting with my surroundings. The light is like a spotlight leading me to my image.

One of my favourite things to do when I am looking to improve my photography skills is the single lens challenge. What is the single lens challenge? Choose one lens and only use that lens when you capture photos. If…

When you are trying to capture images, often times, the story is in the details. Slowing down and looking for the details within a scene will lead you to beautiful images that others don’t see.

A pinhole camera uses a tiny hole the size of a pin instead of a lens. It is amazing how that you can capture images without a lens. I used a Nikon D850 to capture the images for this challenge.

Backgrounds will make or break your photo. Finding a background first and then looking for something to put in the foreground is a great skill to add to your photography toolkit.

The background will make or break your photo. Learn how to improve your photos by improving the backgrounds.

How do you capture a portrait? What do you say to your subject? What do you need to keep in mind? What camera settings are best?

One of the biggest advantages that digital cameras had when they were first introduced was the ability to change the sensor’s sensitivity to light (ISO) from shot to shot. ISO is the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor to light. The…

Just like an athlete who warms up before a competition or a singer who warms up before a concert, this simple 5 minute activity will help you to find creative images and become a better photographer.

We have seen that the aperture controls the amount of light that comes into your camera and therefore your shutter speed. So why wouldn’t we just keep our aperture on our camera set at the widest aperture so the most…

One of the most important things about being a photographer is taking control of your camera. The first step in this process is understanding and using the aperture and shutter speed of your camera. The aperture and shutter speed relationship…

The rule of thirds is something that every photographer should be aware of and understand. It was coined in the late eighteenth century and related to painting. In fact, the rule of thirds is present in all types of art. It…

A great way to change your perspective is to do the opposite of a bird’s eye view and capture images from a worm’s eye view. You can crouch down or even lie down on the ground to get a much…

The vast majority of images captured by people are taken from the eye level of someone who is standing. So a really easy way to make your images stand out from other images is to change your viewpoint. When I…

I believe that we learn by doing and that is how I believe you should approach this blog. Trying things out bit by bit. Continue to experiment and add skills to your photography toolkit. A wise mentor of mine once…