Understanding Lens Basics
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Understanding Lens Basics

Get to know your camera’s BFF from inside to out with our guide to lens basics! If you’re new to photography or just have a new lens, you might not know what all the bits and pieces of your lens are there for. We’ll help you identify what this switch does, decode those lens numbers…

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens review – Is it worth the hype?
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Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens review – Is it worth the hype?

Photographers everywhere rave about their Sigma Art lenses.  But is the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens worth the hype? When I needed a fast 35mm lens for my kit, I settled on the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens. It wasn’t without reservations. I’d read reviews but my experience with Sigma lenses was less than satisfactory. After…

Understanding Lens Filters
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Understanding Lens Filters

What lens filters do you need and why?  We’ll give you the basics! Have you ever heard a photographer talk about using a lens filter but didn’t really understand what that meant?  You’re not alone!  Lens filters are simple in design but can have many different functions.  They are also incredibly useful for getting your…

What’s a gray card and why should you get one?
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What’s a gray card and why should you get one?

Nail exposure and white balance with the inexpensive, practically primitive, gray card Do you struggle setting white balance during sessions?  How about nailing exposure with or without a flash?  If I told you that I could solve both your problems for less than $25, would you believe me?  It’s true.  With the help of the…

Everything you needed to know about choosing a camera strap
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Everything you needed to know about choosing a camera strap

Hand strap, cross-body strap or harness? Here’s what you need to know before choosing a camera strap! I never really gave much thought to my camera strap.  I left the default yellow and black strap on my Nikon for years.  But after really getting bit by the photography bug, I decided a padded strap was…

The Highly Recommended Nifty Fifty Lens – What’s so special?
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The Highly Recommended Nifty Fifty Lens – What’s so special?

What’s so nifty about the fifty?  Let’s find out! It’s inexpensive, easy to use and optically sound.  So what’s not to love about a 50mm nifty fifty lens? In a word, nothing. There is a reason the 50mm lens is nicknamed the “nifty-fifty.”  Learn why this lens is one just about every photographer owns and…

Best Macro Lens for Photographers: The Ultimate Introduction
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Best Macro Lens for Photographers: The Ultimate Introduction

What’s the best macro lens for your kit?  Read this first! Macro photography can be a lot of fun to shoot.  There is just something fascinating about seeing tiny details at life-size.  There’s a whole teeny, tiny world out there waiting for an explorer like you! The problem?  To uncover these bijou realms, you need…

Organizing Mini-Sessions: Your Questions Answered! (Updated 2021)
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Organizing Mini-Sessions: Your Questions Answered! (Updated 2021)

Need answers to the BIG questions when it comes to organizing mini-sessions?  Start here! Mini-sessions can be a great addition to just about any portrait photography business.  “Minis” can add an income stream, bring in new clients and provide a place for some serious creativity. But organizing mini-sessions requires planning and forethought. Not sure where…

The 70-200mm lens – 5 reasons to stop thinking and just buy it already!
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The 70-200mm lens – 5 reasons to stop thinking and just buy it already!

The workhorse 70-200mm lens should be on just about every photographer’s must-have list Are you on the fence about purchasing a 70-200 mm lens?  Worried about the cost?  The weight?  Whether it’s a good lens?  I can’t make these lenses get any cheaper or heavier, but I can alleviate your concerns about it being a…

Photo Storage Solutions to Prevent Catastrophe
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Photo Storage Solutions to Prevent Catastrophe

Create a photo storage plan and eliminate your worst nightmare of lost images! Losing an image is hard.  Disappointing clients is worse.  But telling a client you’ve lost ALL their images is a freaking nightmare.  It’s a worst-case scenario that scares photographers to death and keeps us up nights.  Would your business survive a photo…

Monitor calibration: What is it and why do I need it?
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Monitor calibration: What is it and why do I need it?

Use monitor calibration for better client images and prints This is how my first journey down the rabbit hole of monitor calibration began. “Were you going for a really warm portrait stylistically?  Because your images lately have been really yellow.” This was a Facebook message I got from a pro photographer friend about six years…

Wide Angle Lens – Expand Your Horizons
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Wide Angle Lens – Expand Your Horizons

Learn why a quality wide angle lens is a must for any landscape, street or event photographer to keep in their kit. Has a scenic vista ever captivated your imagination?  Maybe you’ve tried shooting family pictures in tight quarters?  Or do you love that in your face view of street photography?  If you’ve said yes…

Tokina 100 mm f/2.8 macro lens review: Amazing images, budget price
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Tokina 100 mm f/2.8 macro lens review: Amazing images, budget price

A Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro lens review and my new love affair. This Tokina 100mm f/2.8 macro lens review is not sexy, which is fitting considering the lens itself it’s very sexy.  You don’t hear a lot of people raving about it on photography sites.  Like the proverbial nice guy, it often gets overlooked by…

Adding to Your Arsenal: The Neutral Density Filter
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Adding to Your Arsenal: The Neutral Density Filter

What the heck is a neutral density filter? Read below for our simple explanation! With so many tools and accessories available to photographers, it can be difficult to determine which ones to add to your photography bag. Neutral density filters are a great addition for photographers that shoot in harsh light or want more creative…

Lens Hood Explained: Everything you Ever Wanted to Know!
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Lens Hood Explained: Everything you Ever Wanted to Know!

Wondering what that hood is that comes with your camera lens? Read on for more on your lens hood! A lens hood is a very common photography accessory that is often misunderstood. They can be extremely helpful in protecting the front of your lens, as well as controlling lens flare. This article covers the main…