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by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
When choosing binoculars or scopes, a term that should be heavily considered is exit pupil. What is exit pupil, and what does it do? We're often focused on magnification and light gathering capabilities in optics, and these are essential for understanding how optics works, but overall viewing experience shouldn't be discounted.
If you look at any optic at arm's length, you'll see the small pinpoint sized window of light in the center of the eyepiece. Try this with various magnifications, and you'll likely notice a difference in the size of
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Birds, they’re all around us. If you haven’t paid much attention to them, you’re not alone. But, once you do, you’ll have a hard time stopping. If you haven’t yet dabbled in bird watching, known colloquially as birding, we have just one question. Why not? Birding is the perfect way of partially disconnecting from the digital world we find ourselves in and connecting with nature through observation, and one of the most relaxing pastimes imaginable.
If you’re fascinated by our feathery friends but don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
There’s an old adage that claims in order to be a wildlife photographer, you need a lot of time and a lot of money. This is only partly true. Many great wildlife photo opportunities can occur in urban parks and even in your own backyard, as long as we know what we’re doing. In this article, we’re going to cover a number of essential tips that will help you become a better wildlife photographer.
If you’ve read our introduction
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Taking a look at any modern mirrorless or DSLR camera, you’ll notice a slew of controls, buttons, and dials. Atop nearly all cameras sits a large dial labeled with many letters and icons. This is our mode dial. It is how we control the level of power we give to our camera or take for ourselves.
One of the wonderful things that modern electronic digital and film cameras give you is many high-tech options for your image making. One of the horrible things that modern electronic digital and film cameras give you is many high-tech options for your
by Luke Rollins · Posted
There comes a time in a photographer’s life—usually after some consistent success with an on-camera flash—when they say to themselves, "I’m ready to make my own light on demand." Thus begins a seemingly never-ending journey—first mastering the basics, then trying to put some feeling and expression into their photos.
Assuming you’re versed in
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
When it comes to improving your wedding photography, you're likely to hear a lot about gear. We've done our fair share of these gear guides from using fast lenses to complicated lighting set ups. Now, we want to talk about techniques you can use to up your wedding photography game.
Let's take a step back and return to the basics. In this guide, we're going to look at five simple things you can do to up your wedding photography game. These tricks will aid us in both our understanding of the job, marketing ourselves, and client relations.
Be
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Despite what you might have seen on the internet, you don’t need all the money and time in the world to photograph wildlife. Sure, an African safari would be nice, but it is by no means the only way to capture stunning images of wild animals. In fact, regardless of where you live, odds are there’s a vast ecosystem that likely goes unnoticed. If you have trees in your neighborhood, you’re off to a great start.
What You Need to Photograph Wildlife
While gear plays a crucial role in our ability to photograph wildlife, it isn’t everything. In this
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Photography is by definition, the capture of light on a light sensitive surface. That surface could be glass, tin, film, or a digital imaging sensor like those found in most modern cameras. The amount of light that reaches our light-sensitive surface is what we can define as exposure.
A good exposure will look accurate to life or the photographer's creative vision. It will maximize an images quality and
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Good lighting is essential to creating a strong, visually pleasing image. This is as true for naturally lit outdoor shots as it is for studio portraits. For individual or even couples portraits, many photographers make use of on-camera flash or compact, battery-powered strobes to supplement natural light and fill shadows, but how do we situate these in the scene? What light shaping tools should we use? Groups alone can be tricky for a plethora of reasons. Whether it be getting everyone to smile, getting kids to look at the camera, or the
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
What better place to spend a Saturday morning than the zoo. You can enjoy some time outside, all while seeing a variety of both local and exotic animals you'd otherwise never dream of encountering. Zoos also are great place to try your hand at photographing wildlife! In this guide, we're talking about taking our camera to the zoo to capture natural looking images of animals in their element! We'll be covering what you need as well as tips and tricks that'll help you capture stunning, natural looking images of animals.
Above photograph © Mathew
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Winter brings with it some of the best photographic opportunities imaginable. As the temperatures begin to drop, our approach to photography changes a bit. Cooler weather brings with it snow, stunningly colorful evening skies, wintering birds, and an assortment of beautiful weather conditions. Some of the best photographic opportunities present themselves in these unfortunately cold times. That being said, if we prep ourselves and our gear appropriately, we can capture stunning images.
Before You Head Out
First, some safety precautions. Cold
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Photographing pets is something you likely do daily, whether it be with a phone or a dedicated camera. I don’t know about you, but I have thousands of pics of my pup filling up my photos app. After all, pets are part of the family, and we want to capture them in the best possible light. In this quick guide, we’re going to look at 10 ways you can improve your pet photography with practical creative tips and techniques as well as gear.
1. Get to your pet’s level. If there’s one trick to make your images more engaging, it’s to physically shoot
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
One of the most effective ways to improve your portraiture is by controlling the light, and one of the most effective ways to control your light is to move it. Seems like a simple enough concept, but it can be daunting at first, especially if you're using a speedlight or an on-camera flash. Despite its misleading name, an on-camera flash can, very easily, be used off the camera. The "on-camera" part simply refers to its form factor
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Portraiture: It’s one of the most popular and prevalent forms of photography. Although it may seem simple on paper, it comes with its own unique obstacles. Of course, you’ll want to be familiar with your gear. This is essential to all working photographers, but it allows you to focus your efforts on the genre-specific challenges you’ll face.
When photographing people, you’ll find that some folks are photogenic, while others are not. Your job as a photographer is to break down the barriers set by your clients and to put them in the most
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Weddings are among the most important events in a couple’s life. As a photographer, you’re tasked with capturing that day and immortalizing those memories with your camera and lens. However, the camera is only part of the equation. To make your images shine, you’ll need to add some additional tools to your arsenal. In this article, we’re going to explore the accessories that not only make your life as a photographer easier, but make your work stand out.
Lighting
Lighting is the most important element of wedding photography. You’re going to