When it comes to landscape photography, wide angle lenses are the most frequently chosen tools, but they can be particularly challenging to work with. If you are new to landscape photography and wondering how to best handle a wide angle lens, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced landscape photographer sharing useful tips and techniques and a lot of examples images sure to help you improve your photos.
Coming to you from Adam Gibbs, this helpful video tutorial offers a range of useful advice on using a wide angle lens for landscape photography. There are generally two reasons so many photographers struggle with wide angle lenses. First, because they include so much in the frame, it can be difficult to arrange the elements in a compelling and organized composition. Second, because they tend to push away the background, if you do not include a foreground element to bring depth back to the image and give the viewer a natural entry point, you can end up with an overly two-dimensional shot that feels flat and largely empty. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Gibbs.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out “Photographing The World 1: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing with Elia Locardi.”
Landscape photography is a challenging genre that takes a combination of strong camera technique, planning, the ability to predict conditions, good post-processing skills, and often, just a bit of luck. If you are new to landscape photography and looking to improve, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced landscape photographer discussing six common mistakes and how to fix them or avoid them altogether.
Coming to you from Serge Ramelli Photography, this excellent video tutorial discusses six common mistakes landscape photographers make. Perhaps the most subtle mistake newer photographers make is not shooting at the right time of day. When it comes to simply enjoying being outside, we often like to head out around the middle of the afternoon, but the best times of day for a lot of shots are typically around the extremes of the day: sunset and sunrise. This is why many landscape photographers get up at 3 or 4 am to be in the right position at the right time. No doubt, it can be hard to get up that early, but often, you will be rewarded. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Ramelli.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out “Photographing The World 1: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing with Elia Locardi.”
Pursuing photography in the modern world, whether as an amateur or professional, is a tricky and complex thing full of many pitfalls that can derail your development and success as a creative. This great video essay discusses one of the most common traps photographers fall into, how to recognize it, and what you can do to avoid it or break out of it.
Coming to you from Roman Fox, this fantastic video essay discusses the trap the internet has created for many of us. The web is an infinite well, and it is easy to spend far more time than you need to on it. It is easy to get sucked into reading way too much about gear, obsessing about specs, worrying about the opinions of those whose opinion you should not care about, and more. And while that is not to say there are not worthwhile educational opportunities and interactions on the internet, at the end of the day, the best way to get better at photography is simply to get out there and do it. And beyond improving, it is also about enjoying the practice and experience; after all, that is why we all picked up cameras in the first place. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Fox.
If you’re travelling through Ararat in Victoria, you may well see Edwards and his eagle eye by the roadside.
Up until Covid hit, he was a live music photographer, snapping the likes of James Reyne and Rose Tattoo among others.
Edwards moved to Ararat in February 2021 and more recently he discovered a passion for truck photography.
“I was looking for subject matter and a truck came through. I literally walked out the street one day and took one photo of a truck and caught the bug,” he explained.
That was just four weeks ago. From that he created a Facebook group, Truckspotting Ararat, which has already gained over 550 followers.
Edwards has also had numerous truckies get in touch to let him know when they’ll be passing through.
“The reaction and feedback I’m getting from the drivers is making it all worthwhile. Thumbs ups, waves, headlight flashes and the odd honk always makes my day,” he said.
“I’m having a lot of fun and the truckies are enjoying seeing their trucks, which they take great pride in.”
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PT Hirschfield shot this dragon from the back with its eye down at Flinders Pier in Victoria.
The eye was “not as a focal point revealed an angle of this bright beastie that’s rarely seen”.
“The egg closest to the top right hand side appears to have already hatched, with almost ninety other eggs nearing their hatching time,” Hirschfield said.
“I love the yellows, purples, blacks, whites and pinks of the subject against the backdrop blue of the water and green of the seagrass.
“I also like the way the ‘paddles’ on the dragon are outlined in black which is more obvious from this angle than when photographed from other angles.”
The shot captured the eye of the judges, which ultimately earned Hirschfield first place in the compact behaviour category.
]]>I had to make a TikTok account for this. I’ve been adamant about not doing so for the longest time. However, this is something worth talking about and sometimes even dangerous. In this article, we will take a deep dive into the world of horrible photography TikToks.
If you want to create unique work, you should stop looking at photography and immerse yourself in the world of art that is not made with a camera. TikTok is perhaps my personal least favorite platform. If I would have to explain my reasons for hating TikTok, I could easily make an article series. In short, TikTok is a platform that is more addictive than any other social media. The concept of a “TikTok hack” has developed a reputation for being stupid and useless. While there is decent content on TikTok, the percentage of it is small. In short, it is not worth anyone’s time. What is worse is that Instagram and YouTube have copied TikTok, meaning that it is easy for someone to have the TikTok experience without ever having to download the app. You may wonder how I saw these horrible photography TikToks. The answer is simple: by seeing them on Instagram and YouTube. I am not sure of the exact figures, but I would guess that a large proportion of Shorts and Reels are just TikTok videos.
Scripted ‘Stranger Portraits’
Let’s put ourselves into the shoes of a pretty girl walking in Times Square. What would your reaction be to two or more people with cameras approaching you? One of them is asking to take photos of you, while someone else is already filming the process. Sure, there are plenty of people who would be happy to have their portrait taken, but I am not so sure if there are this many people who are happy to be filmed, photographed, and approached by a group of strangers.
These TikToks are deceiving, as it shows that you can get great shots with any stranger in any popular location. The truth is quite different. Having tried such genres of photography myself, I found it fairly uncommon for people to say yes, as most of us don’t go wandering around the streets these days. Everyone has places to be, meaning that it is rare they will say yes to a portrait on the street.
The other thing is that these pictures are the same always the same. It is usually something in the direction of neon lights, a lens ball, and crazy bokeh. I don’t know why, but some companies are adamant about promoting images that look like this. The final product is usually over-saturated, over-sharpened, and just amateur-looking. The reason I say it looks amateur is not because of technical imperfections in the image; it is because of the visuals of the photograph. Because it looks like a million other photos, it simply tells the viewer that the person creating this photo was more concerned with copying a picture rather than creating their own authentic work.
Garbage Photography, Literally
People take photos of literal trash, edit it like trash, and it looks trash.
TikTok photography can be described by some pretty horrible editing. There are some conventions that you can’t break with editing images. It seems almost funny to me how TikTok has a style of editing that is unique to the platform. Usually, images are over-saturated, too contrasty, skin looks far too fake, and eyes far too bright. Another big one is too much HDR. One way or another, the photo is just over-processed. Unfortunately, this is due to photographers simply trying to copy their favorite creators.
You might even buy presets from your favorite creator to take images as they do. This is, in fact, how a lot of them make extra money. Preset sales are very popular. However, there are a lot of really bad presets online. You need to be able to tell what is a good color grade and what is not. In order to develop taste, look past TikTok editing.
Smoke Bombs
Smoke bomb photography is one of the worst trends that seems to never go away. It usually involves a “moody” setting with some pumpkins, a mask, and a hoodie. It also might include a girl wearing a baseball cap. Another common fashion statement to see is Adidas track pants. While there is nothing wrong with using the technique of smoke in your image-making, I can see a few reasons to not do the same picture over and over again, mainly because this will say to your audience that you are largely unable to produce authentic work. That is not to say that smoke looks bad. It doesn’t, and it is a popular thing for portrait and fashion photographers. It adds depth and dimension if used correctly. Products such as Atmosphere Aerosol are super fun to use and enhance a lot of otherwise boring images.
But what I am talking about is the picture where the focus is on the girl in Adidas track pants standing in front of an abandoned building surrounded by smoke. This is just an image of nothing, which is why I would suggest staying away from producing such work.
Genuinely Dangerous Stuff
The worst of them all is the stuff that is actually dangerous to do. These TikTok hacks can get you in the hospital if you’re not careful enough. If you want to attempt these “sick” tricks, wear safety goggles at least, please. I was stupid enough to attempt some of these myself. 
The “sick” idea of photographing people standing on train tracks, on edges of buildings, under grass cutters, or in any other place where you can get injured should be outright banned by the platform itself. These trends are as bad as the Tide Pod challenge, where people would bite into laundry pods or even cook them. This resulted in some people ending up in the hospital and even a few dying. The same can be said about people photographing on train tracks. There have been a number of deaths due to people having photoshoots on train tracks. Therefore, if you are putting your life at risk because of TikTok trends, you should probably rethink a few life decisions that brought you there. This probably is in the same league as over-the-top gender reveal parties, which have been known to poison water, cause wildfires, and explosions so powerful they cause an earthquake.
Final Remarks
If I had to give one piece of advice to people who are watching photography TikToks, it would be: stop it. Deleting TikTok and trying to spend less time on social media will make you far more efficient and creative. In the meantime, what are some horrible TIkToks that you have seen? Let us know in the comments!
The most successful, most memorable, and the most difficult piece to pull off was “Andy Warhol and members of The Factory.” It is dated October 30, 1969, but was begun months earlier, on August 14th, in a session that served as both a test run for Avedon and a tryout for his subjects. Over the following months, he refined his cast of characters and orchestrated their relationships across the bright, featureless white space that had become his signature. Warhol was always present at one end of the frieze, holding his tape recorder at the ready. Eventually, Avedon decided to introduce a bit of drama to the scene, anticipating the jealous antagonism that the filmmaker Paul Morrissey was beginning to exhibit toward Warhol, over the shifting alliances of his protégé Joe Dallesandro. In the final image, a composite, Dallesandro appears naked and under Morrissey’s possessive hand, at the left edge of the mural, and also clothed and close at Warhol’s side, on the right. In between, Morrissey reappears—behind a group that includes Viva, Taylor Mead, and a breast-baring Brigid Polk—and casts a suspicious eye on his rival. That friction gave Avedon the same hint of narrative that had driven many of his most successful fashion photographs, but the Warhol mural hardly depends on it. Not when the actors Jay Johnson, Eric Emerson, and Tom Hompertz make an unlikely version of “The Three Graces,” casually nude amid a tangle of their cast-off clothes. And especially not when the uncommonly beautiful Candy Darling stands just as naked nearby, in wig and full makeup, with what she referred to as her “flaw,” a penis, on matter-of-fact display. Although none of this looks especially groundbreaking today, it was rather extraordinary at the time, and it still reads as a marvellous coup, at once shrewd and playful—far from spontaneous yet full of surprise.
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The wonderful thing about landscape photography is that you can do it with anything from the most bare-bones, budget camera to the most expensive and modern options. If you are wondering which camera is right for your needs, check out this excellent video guide that will show you a range of great options for every price point, from under $1,000 to no budget whatsoever.
Coming to you from DPReview TV, this helpful video guide will show you a range of camera options for landscape photography at three different price levels. It really is a fantastic time to be a landscape photographer. I never thought I would see the day that a brand new medium format mirrorless camera would be knocking on the door of the middle tier and competing with full frame options (the Fujifilm GFX 50S II), but here we are. On the other hand, micro four thirds cameras are highly portable and offer some of the most advanced and impressive computational features, such as Live ND and Live Composite. Check out the video above for the full rundown.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out “Photographing The World 1: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing with Elia Locardi.”
Having met and talked with quite a few photographers, I have seen that there are a lot of things we do which, to me, a fellow photographer are annoying. Some are innocent enough such as asking for the lighting setup, but others sit on the fence about being illegal.
Talk About Gear Too Much
I will flip the next time someone tries talking gear with me. The only time this is tolerable is when someone is not a photographer and wants to find a common topic. In any other circumstance, I could not care less about what light or camera you use. This is true for many photographers because most of us don’t read camera reviews and hardly find them interesting either. Simply knowing the specs won’t land me a client, and I don’t want to spend my time discussing the autofocus on a DSLR vs a mirrorless camera. As long as it works, it is good. Photography is about the art, about the process, not about the camera and lights you use. While gear matters, it does not matter to the point of being the main subject of discussions between photographers.
Compare Clients and Income
There is this tendency to have a length-measuring contest when it comes to clients and income. While it is reasonable to be open about what everyone charges, it is fairly unprofessional if not in a bad tone to compare what clients you worked for and how much money you made just to show off. Money is one of the discussion taboos you probably should not break.
That said, my closest friends know how much I make. For example, if you happen to be close friends with a photographer, you can monopolize and raise the prices at the same time, meaning that you both will make more money and nobody is price-cutting or overcharging. This is fair game, but this should be done with people who you trust to be on your side. Probably stay away from messaging a random photographer and asking how much they charge.
But don’t be an annoying showoff who talks about their income and clients. Maybe just because the person you may be showing off to has shot for bigger brands and made more.
Act Creepy
There is a proportion of professional photographers who shoot for a reason not related to art. A while back I wrote an article on this topic, calling out, politely, the photographers who take images with an ulterior motive behind them. While workplace romances are something we are all used to, there should be a clear divide between what happens on and off-set. I am not talking about people who met on set, I am talking about people who use the power they have for the wrong reasons, or just act creepy with their models. As soon as you become a creep, word gets around very fast.
The set is a professional environment, where you can’t be a creep. I have heard plenty of stories where “usually” middle-aged photographers act inappropriately with models. The models usually don’t say anything as they are afraid, however, it does not go unnoticed.
This harms not only the personal reputation of the said photographer but the image of the photographer in general. Unnecessary sexual references are not the way to get a model to loosen up, if anything, they will feel more uncomfortable making the images worse.
Not Crediting on Social
I don’t quite understand the photographers who don’t tag their crew on social. I mean, just because the makeup artist did not click a button doesn’t mean they are not a vital part of the image. The same applies to the whole crew, the retoucher included. While there is some debate on if and how the retoucher should be credited, it is usually better to credit than not.
Rejecting Criticism
You should not care about what others have to say. This is a good mantra to live by if you want to protect your own mental health, and in general, if you want to have confidence in your work. However, with this information, still, keep in mind that rejecting useful feedback will send you on a downward spiral. I don’t know why, and I do apologize to the people who find this sexist, but this is such a “guy” thing to do. Usually, it is the male photographers who have an inflated ego. Being able to listen to feedback, take certain things in, leave others out, and in general filter what you hear is an invaluable skill. It is really sad to see so many photographers reject perfectly good feedback and as a result, not make progress.
This topic can be a separate article in itself, but in short, feedback can come from anywhere. Your job is to be able to sort out the good from the bad. I sometimes am unable to do this, and my ego gets the best of me. For example, there were a few times when the “trolls” in the comments said very sensible things that ended up improving my work. While I try to not take the things trolls say too seriously, it is still worth reading and trying to see if what they have to say comes from a good place. Often people mean good things but express them in a bad way.
Asking About the Light Setup One Too Many Times
I am almost certain that no matter how much I will try to tell people to not use light setups, they will still ask me for the “setup”. The truth is, there is no setup that I use. In fact, half of the time I set the light by feeling rather than by the rule. It is more about the image that I see in my head than the light setup. There are other times when I just want “soft light” and frankly, I could not care less if it is being done the “right way” as long as the result is what I want, it works. Therefore, don’t be the annoying person who is always looking for an easy way to light — learn to light instead. It is fine to be curious about one effect or the other, but when you haven’t tried it yourself first. Chances are, you are able to do it your own way already.
What are some of the things that you find annoying in other photographers? Let us know in the comments!
He has played a significant role in making me into the photographer I am now, so much so that I would’ve quit without getting started if it was not for his content. This is probably true for a lot of “new generation” creators. Yet, there is a lot of debate surrounding him, as well as other creators. The core of this debate is simply that YouTubers are not “real” photographers and should not be listened to. In this article, we will discuss the importance of educators, presenters, and, of course, real photographers.
I have a lot of people to thank for what I am now. More than I can remember, probably. All the influence I had from my surroundings, family, friends, and colleagues has played a key role in forming my photographic taste and making me a photographer, from my mum who took me to see the ballet and opera at the age of 3, to architecture, and, surprisingly, Peter McKinnon. Now, I get your question, what can a YouTuber do to inspire someone passionate about fashion? After all, what can watching vlogs, camera hack videos, and gear reviews do to get someone interested in photography? Turns out, a lot.
My Journey
The path that brought me to fashion photography is rather long, but I will try to condense it into a paragraph. Perhaps the biggest inspiration was the fact that I was presented with theater from a young age. I was not interested in the plot, but rather in the way light, set, and clothes were able to create completely different worlds on a simple stage. Then, around when I hit my teenage years, I explored abandoned buildings. I watched a few YouTube videos and saw how those people were able to capture a fully bright picture in what looked like a pitch-black room. Again, I was fascinated by light transforming a space. Eventually, I got the hang of long-exposure techniques and started to photograph my friends. By pure coincidence, I ended up assisting with a fashion shoot. The rest is history, which led me here.
How Peter McKinnon Helped
Peter McKinnon has made me into a photographer because, during my path to those first shoots, I would religiously watch his early content, try some of the things myself, and eventually even go for a similar hairstyle. It was not so much about the content of the videos for me; it was more about someone being a photographer and showing how much fun it is. Whenever I felt like putting my camera down, his content inspired me to move forward. Sure, his content might sometimes be overly optimistic, but in any case, it was plenty to get me inspired. I loved seeing how he traveled, took photos, and interacted with people. The energy he gave off in the videos made me fall in love with photography. But, what I do is very far from Peter McKinnon. Not only do we work in different genres, but we also make money in different ways. Some might say that I do a “pure” form of photography, where my images make me money. The same group of people might also refer to Peter McKinnon as a YouTuber, hence not a real photographer. That isn’t exactly right, and here is why.
Presenters Versus ‘Real’ Photographers
Peter McKinnon inspires people to become photographers. He presents the lifestyle of a photographer, and he is great at that. The truth about being a photographer is often that you can’t show what you do. If it was not for his presentation skills, I would not be looking at photography as a career option. The world needs people who are presenters.
Let’s switch gears and look at Top Gear and its role in motorsports. The iconic trio of presenters was able to entertain millions of car enthusiasts and get people interested in cars in general. They are not real racing drivers and would not compete in the next Formula 1 race, but their value should not be underestimated. That said, I have every confidence that James May can be a car mechanic and Clarkson and Hammond could race at some level. Simply because they choose to be presenters and not race drivers and mechanics should not mean they are not legitimate.
Peter McKinnon is like the Top Gear trio: he is a presenter. His job is to entertain, present, and review photography. His YouTube channel is one of the best places for a beginner photographer to get inspiration. That said, he has put a lot of work into creating this resource. With the talent and dedication that he put into this channel, could he have become a successful working photographer? Absolutely! He has all the talent in the world to take beautiful shots that will see commercial success. Perhaps this is why his work has been praised not only by other photographers online but by people who would hire photographers.
Presenting Is a Craft in Itself
Being able to present something is a craft in itself. To become truly great at anything, you need to focus on that thing and only that thing. Becoming a presenter is perhaps even more difficult, as it requires one to master not only the skill of presenting but also the thing they are presenting. Some time ago, I always wondered why images in gear reviews often lack artistic merit. What I failed to understand is that doing a review is not so much about capturing the next great photograph but simply presenting what the gear can do. Going back to Top Gear, while Clarkson is a slower driver than, say, Verstappen, he is a much better presenter and communicator who can communicate more than anything. If not for presenters, I wonder if there would be as many drivers. The same applies to a lot of other industries, including photography.
That said, it is important to be able to tell the bad from the good. There are plenty of channels that claim to be giving advice on how to be a photographer without ever having done it themselves. You should be able to differentiate between someone who is a scammer, a presenter, or a working photographer. Don’t fall for get-rich-quick schemes that some scammers try to sell to you. While there may be five camera hacks for better images, there are no five hacks to make money today. In general, it is best to stay away from such channels. Nobody can promise you what is outside of your control. Landing a job is outside, unfortunately.
Final Thoughts
It is fairly narrowminded to think that someone is not a real photographer because they are a presenter and educator. They play a far more important role than we think, and if it wasn’t for one of them, I would not even be a photographer. This is why, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Peter McKinnon, a presenter as well as a “real” photographer.