Last winter I returned to one of my all time favourite bird photography destinations: Cibola National Wildlife Refuge which is on the border between California and Arizona. During my first visit to Cibola the previous year, I discovered some problems with my wildlife photography gear, which resulted in my not getting any long lens photos. Bummer! That was one reason why … [Read more...]
How to Upgrade to Lightroom Classic CC and What You Need to do First
Upgrading Lightroom can be a bit intimidating! You wouldn't be alone to worry that all the time you've put into organizing your photos into catalogs, folders and collections might suddenly go POOF! Or that maybe your whole computer might suddenly go POOF! So it's better to be prepared and feel secure that you can recover from any disaster that might occur. Not that I … [Read more...]
How to Use the Dodge and Burn Technique in Photo Processing
Dodging and burning is an easy and effective way to make portions of your image lighter or darker. So why is it so confusing to understand how it works? Because the terminology comes from the old darkroom days when processing photos was a two stage process. First we made the NEGATIVE by exposing the film to light. Just like when you make an image in your digital camera … [Read more...]
Starting a Photography Business – 3 Essential Tips
You love photography. You have a passion for it, and you're good at it. You'd love to start a photography business. But, what kind of business? How do you know what direction to go in? Since I've been in your shoes, I'd like to share with you the best advice I received, how I found my path, and the skills you'll need to make your business successful. 1. Start building … [Read more...]
How To Use Layer Masks To Make Realistic HDR Images With Aurora
I’m having so much fun playing with HDR again! I feel like a whole world has re-opened. I used to enjoy HDR many years ago, but I have always wanted my final images to have a natural look. Achieving that look was challenging with the software that was available to combine exposures and time consuming to do it by hand in Photoshop. So when camera sensors started getting … [Read more...]
Lightroom vs. Luminar – What’s the Difference?
One question I get asked quite frequently since doing my review of Luminar 2018 is “What is the difference between Lightroom and Luminar and which is better?” While Lightroom and Luminar do have some things in common, there are more differences between them than similarities. In this video I’ll explain the similarities and differences and show you which features I use and … [Read more...]
10 Quick Must-Have Photography Tips
To create a truly great photograph, a lot of different things have to come together - both in the field and back at your computer. Getting any one of these things wrong can turn your dream shot into a snapshot! (We’ve all had that happen - don’t worry, you’re not alone!) Here are a few quick tips to remember when you’re in the field: 1. Choose Your Light When you find a … [Read more...]
How To Photograph Birds
Welcome back to my series "Great Subjects". This week we're going to look at one of my favourite great subjects to photograph: birds. Bird photography can be incredibly rewarding when you get that special shot - the one with the bird in sharp detail doing something interesting with no distracting elements in the background. But it can frustrating trying to get that shot, … [Read more...]