Those of Us at the Dawn of Digital Screwed Up a Generation of Photos

Like many 30-somethings, I came of age during a time when photography was transitioning from film to pixels. Entire years of my life were captured with early consumer and professional-grade digital cameras, and now I’m left feeling like that was a big mistake. In the late 1990s, I moved from capturing memories on film to…

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By: AlonzoWest.com

How to Send an HDMI Video Signal Wirelessly

Wireless video transmitters have always been extremely expensive, until now.  We’ve all been in a situation where we wished we could send a video from its source wirelessly to a display. Filmmakers may need to be able to output a signal to multiple monitors while keeping the camera itself completely untethered. The tech necessary to do this…

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The Importance of the Investment Menu for ‘In-Person Sales’

If you are running a luxury photography studio but have not starting using in-person sales (IPS) you may be leaving money on the table. The investment menu is key to having a fluid sales session. But did you know the importance of where you place the collections on the menu?  Every restaurant owner knows the…

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DSLR or Mirrorless: Fears of Being Replaced

DSLR users and friends of the mirrorless camera constantly discuss which system is the best. Is this discussion driven by unreasonable fear? Before You Tear Me Apart A short word in advance: I encourage you to shoot with the camera you like. I personally own a mirrorless system and a DSLR. Even worse, they also have…

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Can You Understand This Baffling Camera Setting?

Do you ever get the feeling that people who make menu settings on cameras and manual instructions to follow are having a laugh at your expense by making things so confusing? Can you explain this Canon menu riddle to me? Because it’s baffling me. Call me old fashioned or even plain and simple, but if I…

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Circles or Squares: A Beginners Guide to Filter Formats for Landscape Photography

Many aspiring photographers get intimidated by landscape photography because of their unfamiliarity to filters. While filters are not 100% essential to learning landscape, understanding this topic before making choices can lead you towards better gear decisions. One of the most basic yet most common questions asked when talking about filters for landscape photography is whether…

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If Canon Is Releasing Four Full-Frame Cameras This Year, What Should They Be?

There’s been a lot of speculation about what camera Canon would add next to its new range of full-frame mirrorless bodies, and we might be a step closer to seeing what will emerge over the next twelve months. According to rumors, one is pretty certain, but the other two are a little more unexpected. The…

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Create a Blade Runner Inspired Image in Photoshop

Recently I was thinking about the year so far and noticed that my output for the year was down compared to other years. Why was this? Maybe I have been too busy with other aspects of the business. Sometimes it can be hard to get to shoot when the business issues have to be dealt…

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Film Isn’t Vegan: Why You Should Potentially Reconsider Shooting It if You Care About Animals

Film photography is enjoying a bit of a resurgence at the moment, with many people flocking to it for reasons ranging from the abundance of cheap used equipment, to the enjoyment of the process, or the look of the results. And while film can certainly be both a fun and rewarding way to shoot, it…

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How Much Should You Spend on a Camera?

All photographers at every level have a similar problem. How do you know how much to spend on a new camera? It’s all centered around the proverbial question of how much camera you need versus how much camera you want. The answer to those two questions is very rarely the same. Of course, if money were no issue, we…

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Top Five Life Rules for Photographers

Photography is a microcosm for the real world, and in many ways, it mirrors it. Here are my top five rules for life that I’ve transferred to photography. Rule 1: Life Is Not an Administrative Task Benjamin Franklin is famously attributed with the quote: “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Or rather,…

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Two Screens for Productive Post-Processing: A Review of the Asus Zenbook Duo for Photography

Ever wished your laptop had a bit more workspace? The Asus Zenbook Duo has a secondary display right on the main panel that allows for increased productivity and multitasking. The Asus Zenbook Duo was announced in the latter half of 2019 as part of a series of computers by Asus that are said to be…

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Let’s Tear Apart My Earliest and Ugliest Photographs to See What Beginners Could Learn

Most photographers look back at their very earliest work and cringe; I am no exception. But what could I learn from harshly critiquing my earliest imagery and what value might it hold for beginners? Let’s find out. Armed with a weathered, secondhand Canon 350D (Rebel XT to some of you) and a kit lens that had been…

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A Free Fashion Photography Tutorial Using the Fujifilm GFX 100

Recently I got my hands on the new Fujifilm GFX 100 medium format camera and thought it would be fun to create a free fashion photography tutorial showing my entire workflow. The goal of this shoot was to create a bunch of different looking styled shoots using natural light in combination with a few strobes. For…

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DxO PhotoLab 3.1: A Lightroom Replacement?

Photolab 3.1 from DXO has been out a couple of months now, and early looks from photographers have been positive. It’s a complete raw editor and has many features photographers will expect to see and adds some very worthwhile enhancements that will highly interest editors at every skill level. We took a look at the first offering of Photolab back in…

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Exploration Inspiration for 2020: Guess Where These Places Are?

Happy New Year! If you’re like me, you probably made about 20 New Year’s resolutions — most of which seemed like far poorer ideas once the wine wore off. A few I do have to admit would make me a better person, but don’t sound like much fun. There’s only one am I excited about: Explore…

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Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes Are Dead: It’s Time to Get Rid of Them

For most manufacturers, one of the hangovers from analog cameras is the chunky dial that sits on top. Two of the modes — shutter priority (often S or Tv) and aperture priority (often A or Av) — are becoming increasingly obsolete. Cameras have changed, and so has how we used them, and manufacturers need to keep up.…

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What New Lenses Can Sony Shooters Expect to See in 2020?

Sony is said to be releasing six new E mount lenses in the next 12 months. Given the size and quality of the range of Sony glass, what do you want and what do you expect? And what do the likes of Tamron, Zeiss, Sigma, and Rokinon/Samyang have planned? Sony Alpha Rumors has had heard from…

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The Next Camera You Buy Should Be Film

To take The Buggles out of context — digital killed the film star. But just as podcasts are one of the biggest growth areas in media, so is film on the up. Forget buying digital. Your next camera should be film, and here’s why. That Nikon D810 you bought three years ago takes almost identical photos…

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Completely Transform the Mood of an Image in Photoshop in Under Five Minutes

Do you have an image that should work, but doesn’t? Perhaps some color alterations could transform it into something great. I’ll start with what I expect to be one of the main points of contention: I prefer to get the image right in camera too. However, not every shoot or trip out with the camera is…

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10 Crucial Values You Need to Know in Landscape Photography

Technical perfection, originality, environmentalism, story, aesthetics, and realism are all concepts or principles we as landscape photographers can value. What we value will define how we do our landscape photography and if those photos will ever be any good. Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of actions or outcomes. As such,…

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Results Are In: The Most Popular Cameras of 2019

Did anybody purchase an old school DSLR this year? Could the iPhone 11 have affected camera sales? It’s that time of year again when we gather all the stats and crown the winners and losers of the camera market. This year saw an unfortunate lack of sales, which have been shrinking for the past couple years. So,…

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Did This Catholic Monk Already Know How to Make Beautiful Pictures?

It’s crazy how ideas develop over time and how far we can track our today’s understanding of the world. Find out, what an influential Italian monk from the 13th century already knew about creating good pictures. We Learn What Others Found Out When we learn science, we start with simple rules. We learn basic formula…

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7 Things Only the Photographer Cares About on Set

Being a photographer comes with perils that only fellow photographers can relate to. Here are 7 things that only photographers care about on set. Physics Let’s start with the biggest one. Creative directors rarely care about the laws of physics. All they want is the final image. Trying to explain to someone that they can’t…

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7 Reasons Not to Use a Neutral Density Gradient Filter, and My Reason to Ignore This

The use of filters is very popular among landscape photographers. There are a lot of beautiful filters available that can help capture the landscape in the way you want to. But how useful are these filters in reality? Let’s have a look. One of the difficult things in landscape photography is capturing the scenery the…

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By: AlonzoWest.com

7 Reasons Not to Use a Neutral Density Gradient Filter, and My Reason to Ignore This

The use of filters is very popular among landscape photographers. There are a lot of beautiful filters available that can help capture the landscape in the way you want to. But how useful are these filters in reality? Let’s have a look. One of the difficult things in landscape photography is capturing the scenery the…

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Source: https://alonzowest.com/7-reasons-not-to-use-a-neutral-density-gradient-filter-and-my-reason-to-ignore-this/
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3 Reasons Why I’d Still Buy a DSLR in 2020

While DSLRs seem to be losing ground to mirrorless cameras as the years go on, they are still the go-to tools of many photographers because they are often the best for the job. The recent spate of announcements from Nikon and Canon make it clear: It’s probably the best time ever to buy a DSLR.…

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The D780 And Why Nikon Is Smart to Continue Making New DSLRs

To paraphrase the great Mark Twain, reports of the death of the DSLR have been greatly exaggerated. With Nikon announcing the release of the new D780, in the midst of the mirrorless wave, some people might think this move crazy, but from a business standpoint, it might just be genius. Now, before I get started, I…

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Think You Know What Goes Into Creating a Great Image? Technically, Not That Much

The process of creating technically solid images can seem a bit daunting. But there aren’t actually all that many variables a photographer has to contend with, nor that many things those variables directly influence. But, as with everything, the devil is in the details. In a previous article, we looked at how the human brain,…

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The Little Trick That Can Greatly Improve Your Black and White Photography

Black and white photography has a timeless quality, but shooting memorable colorless images is more difficult that it first seems. This little trick can help. Where once black and white photography was so by mere necessity, now it’s a creative decision in the same way it has been for artists for centuries. I remember first…

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New Year’s Resolution: Don’t Pick Up Your Camera

The New Year is a good opportunity to pursue new goals or finally get around to doing those things that have been on your long-list. However have you thought about not picking up a camera? As photographers our raison d’etre is to take photos, notwithstanding that our reasons for making images may well be multi-faceted.…

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Canon to Release the EOS RiP With Vertical 5:4 Sensor for Instagram Influencers

Rumors are circulating that Canon is going to launch a version of the EOS RP with one killer feature when it comes to producing content for Instagram: a vertical sensor with a 5:4 ratio. Until now, Instagram photographers have had to be content with the onerous task of turning their camera sideways and imagining bits chopped from the top and…

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Source: https://alonzowest.com/canon-to-release-the-eos-rip-with-vertical-54-sensor-for-instagram-influencers/
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10 of the Most Interesting and Entertaining Live Cameras You Can Watch Right Now

Advances in cameras and more readily available internet bandwidth have made it possible for almost anyone to set up live streams of events just about anywhere nowadays, bringing us new and interesting windows on the world. Here are 10 of the most interesting live cameras you can watch right now. The thing I love about live…

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Film and Travel Inspiration for All Creatives: ‘Made in Korea’

I’ve got just the perfect inspiration to get you started this year: a beautifully made film about travels in South Korea. It is very possible that it will give you a strong inclination to document your next trip, too.  “Made in Korea” is a short film shot and edited by Daniel Kemeys, a visual effects…

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Winter Is the Best Time of the Year for Landscape Photographers

There is something truly sublime about a fresh coat of snow. There are few things in nature that are as visually organic as snow-covered trees. What isn’t great about the winter? There’s snow, ice, and freezing cold temperatures. Wait… this was supposed to be a list of the good things, right? The fact of the…

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Five Ways Lightroom Is Just Better

Following up from last’s week’s article about Capture One, today, we’ll take a look at its main rival in the raw processing field, Lightroom. To keep things on a relatively level playing field, I’ll be discussing what is now called “Lightroom Classic,” the desktop version of Lightroom. As with last week’s article, I’m expecting that a…

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10 Things Photographers Need to Stop Doing in 2020

It’s time to drop these bad habits and clean up your photography act in 2020. Head into the next decade like a warrior. Stop Expecting Work to Show up on Your Doorstep You shoot a few photographs, stick them on your website and social media platforms, add the requisite hashtags, chat with other photographers in…

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Ten Creators to Watch on TikTok

A lot of people think TikTok is juvenile, or have not even heard of it. Yet, after 1 billion downloads and upwards of 500 million monthly users, the app is on the map.  TikTok is a mobile app designed around displaying video set to music, voiceover, and loops. It allows you to take clips and…

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My 10 Most Used Pieces of Gear in 2019

With the year coming to an end, it’s a great time to take inventory and see what you did right and what needs improvement. This also translates to your gear. What was used the most and what should be thrown up for sale? This is a list of my most used gear for 2019.  1.…

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Here’s Why the iPhone Is the Best Camera for Beginners

There have been plenty of occasions where someone has asked me which camera they should buy up to a certain price point. My first question almost always is to ask them what smartphone they currently have. The reason for this is because smartphone cameras have come such a long way that they’re now viable tools for photography and video. I’m pretty…

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