Cameras keep getting smarter. They can focus faster than ever.They can see in near darkness.They can track faces, eyes, animals, and motion automatically.And now, with AI, they can even suggest  compositions, fix exposure mistakes, remove distractions, and generate images that never existed at all. So it’s a fair question—especially for beginners and clients alike: If cameras and AI are this advanced, why do professional photographers still matter? The answer hasn’t changed i

Every year, photography contests invite hundreds of images. And every year, photographers quietly wonder the same thing: “What are the judges really looking for?” As a judge for the Edgar G. Mueller Photo Contest, I can’t tell you what a winning photograph will look like—and that’s exactly the point. Winning images aren’t predictable. But the process  behind judging them is far more consistent than most people realize. This article isn’t about formulas or tricks. It’s about h

Every camera setting is subjective, including white balance. Some of the top wedding photographers use auto white balance. Some do custom white balance for every shoot. I used to believe in auto white balance for everything. For the most part, situations are always changing and therefore white balance is always different, so auto helps. But since color temperatures change, so does auto white balance, meaning every image you take could have a slightly different white balance

Taking great images, being a photographer, becomes easier with practice, like doing visual pushups. The more practiced you are, the more...

I've seen fantastic places, but no other experience has been like photographing Hawaii, a world of vibrant color, people and landscapes....

How to change layer thumbnail size in Adobe Photoshop CS6. I provide Photoshop and Lightroom demonstrations for photographers and...

The Internet offers a lot of misinformation when it comes to buying and selling Adobe software used. Articles tell you it's neither legal...

Recently I went out and finally got some local textures I wanted for use as possible digital backgrounds. I live in Horicon and there are...

In this snowy woods is a nice example of how color and texture can be found in a fairly monochromatic scene. This is a snow-covered...

When I met George Lepp, Canon Explorer of Light, many years ago at a seminar, one of the questions I had then as an amateur was how to create a sun star effect. The answer was pretty straightforward, but I've added some tips. The kicker in the snow scene image is the sun star. To create an effect like this, start with a lens with a wide angle lens like 24 mm or shorter. The longer the lens, the less impact the effect will have. Start with the aperture fully closed, which

Photographing bright white snowy landscapes is one of the trickiest tasks in  photography, if you're a beginner using reflective metering. When everything is white, the camera calculates an exposure that will render it medium gray. The result is often flat and disappointing, unless you know how to correct for it. I did a fun study of snow covering a wooden fence and tree in a field near the Horicon Marsh. I had my trusty Sekonic L-758 incident meter with me. The incident met

“What lens should I buy?” is one of the most common questions photographers ask—beginners and experienced shooters alike. And it’s also one of the easiest questions to answer wrong . Most people approach lens buying the same way they approach camera buying: research endlessly, compare specs, read forums, and ask strangers what’s “best.” The problem is that none of those things tell you what you  actually need. If you take marketing out of the equation and get honest about wha

Non-Destructive Erasing in Photoshop CS6 Non-destructive erasing in Photoshop CS6 enables greater flexibility than the regular erase...

Using color gels on a flash can add interest and impact to any scene, like what I did in a recent snow storm. It's easy to play with color on such a white canvas as snow. I found the woods near the Horicon Marsh interesting, every branch covered with snow, a forest made out of snow. A tripod would've enabled me to shoot a higher aperture, but I didn't have one. So I used a sharpening trick in CS6 to get reasonable detail. The obvious element of interest is the blue light. I

TTL flash photography isn’t random or magical. This guide explains how it works and how to control flash exposure confidently in real-world situations.

Out in a recent snow storm I found the woods near the Horicon Marsh interesting, every branch covered with snow. It was a forest made out of snow. I didn't have a tripod to enable me to shoot a high aperture, but a sharpening trick in CS6 enabled me to get reasonable detail. The obvious element of interest is the blue light. It's a Honl blue color gel on an off-camera flash triggered by a PocketWizard. I did enhance tones and sharpness in CS6 and color, vignetting and contras

Finally, the sun broke the overcast conditions we'd been having the past week here in Horicon, and I took the opportunity to go exploring...

Texture study of weathered wood on Discher Park Pavilion, Horicon, Wisconsin.

Westcott Medium Apollo 28" Soft Box with Recessed Front Westcott Apollo 28" Light Modifier with Recessed Front Excellent Quality and...

Golden light spills onto grass and clouds as waves roll toward shore on Lake Michigan in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The secret to this...