There is a lot of misconception among first time stock photo contributors about the kind of images that sell well as stock. They feel if an image has the X-factor it must be a good stock photo as well. They feel swayed when their peers, colleagues and friends on social media leave rave reviews for their images. They feel those images would sale like hot-cakes on Shutterstock or iStockphoto too. They are disappointed when that don't happen. Looking for microstock secrets? Don't believe everything you hear, and certainly don't have pre-conceived notion about all things. Read more...
The art of photography is God’s way of saying man, he needs an audience. When his mighty yet subtle hands work their magic he needs someone to stand, behold and admire. Photographers are those blessed people who happen to be at the right place at the right time. Well when I say photographers I definitely mean landscape photographers. These are the people who spend as much time outdoors as they do indoors, finding the right light. This is one genre which is best placed to capture the truly stunning beauty of Mother Nature. Read more...
This article is meant for photographers who want to learn how to use an external flash in outdoor shooting situation. Shooting outdoors in natural light can be a challenge depending upon your understanding of the nature of light. I know most of you are aware how amazing golden hour light can be. This warm soothing light is perfect for a number of photography genres. You can shoot wedding, engagements, casual portraits, architecture photos and much much more during this magical time of the day. Fast forward another 30 minutes or so and the potential of the blue hour isn’t that inconspicuous either. Read more...
Before we start processing a sample image for the cinematic look let’s first try and understand what the cinematic look actually is. Images straight out of the camera (SOOC) carry the default factory settings. They are overtly bright and saturated. I am referring to the JPEGs here. This is one of the reasons why pros prefer to shoot in RAW with all the settings somewhat neutralised. Read more...
Adobe Photoshop is an incredible tool. It gives you the power to improve average photos into something that’s worth a second look. With tools like this creating a wow image is no big deal. If you are only half as good a photographer you aspire to be and moderately proficient with these photo editing tools you can improve average photos that you thought were missed moments and transform them into something special. Read more...
Often, amateur landscape photographers tend to have lots of issues trying to balance an exposure in a scene where there is a lot of difference in ambient lighting across the frame. Let's say a sunset or a sunrise scene where the sky is extremely bright and the foreground is extremely dark. Exposing for one clips details in the other. Then there is the mid-afternoon harsh light. Ever thought about using long exposure under the mid-day sun? ND filters, allow you to do all of these and more. Let's look at the many uses of ND filters. Read more...
While post processing a recent set of images I came across a few images that had wild exposure differences. It was one of those classic examples of how a photographer can get lazy between shots and forget to change settings. I had shot a few images prior to these in the shade and the exposure was longer. The scene changed and I was shooting under the sun with no shade and I forgot to adjust my exposure.
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Watching the Diwali lights come on one by one, at each house in our colony I couldn’t stop thinking how lights have always been a part of humanity since time immemorial. Ever since man understood how to control fire it became an inseparable part of his life. It is thus no surprise that fire became a part of almost everything that he did. It became, in many ways, a manifestation of his very existence. Man has used fire to ward off the dangers of night. He has used it to make his food more palatable. Then again when his heart is filled with joy he has used it to mark the auspicious moment. Those moments have been remembered from generation to generation and have come to be celebrated as special events. So, while the Hindus celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, Christians celebrate Christmas and Jews Hanukkah. I believe there is a common thread in all these which connects all of humanity.
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A studio setup allows you to be creative in ways you could never ever manage without lights. There are a million different ways in which you can arrange your lights to create different moods for your photos. Artificial lights are thus the choice of professionals who want to be able to control every aspect of their photography. When we speak of artificial lights and studio photography, invariably a closely related aspect comes up for discussion; and that is - different types of lighting techniques or arrangements.
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There is a lot of misconception among first time stock photo contributors about the kind of images that sell well as stock. They feel if an image has the X-factor it must be a good stock photo as well. They feel swayed when their peers, colleagues and friends on social media leave rave reviews for their images. They feel those images would sale like hot-cakes on Shutterstock or iStockphoto too. They are disappointed when that don't happen. Looking for microstock secrets? Don't believe everything you hear, and certainly don't have pre-conceived notion about all things. Read more... 
