For career photographers, better product photos mean better clients! In this first lesson of Phillip McCordall’s Product Photography In Depth course, get an overview of professional product photography techniques. Learn how to position products and how to achieve studio-quality lighting with a low-cost method for diffusing light. Most importantly, learn how to eliminate lens flare. These basic techniques help create photos that result in sales, and an expanding client base for photographers!
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Take a photograph using the tips you've learned, and share it with us! Don't worry if you don't have fancy equipment!
Working anywhere is much better when you are comfortable in your surroundings and have all of the necessary tools within reach. In this lesson, learn how to create custom workspaces in Photoshop to make your editing easier. Mama Shan starts by moving the Channels, Paths, and Layers panels and adjusting their width and height, before showing you how to toggle panels on and off. And once you’ve got your workspace customized to your liking, learn how you can reset any workspace to your version.
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Whether you are a wedding photographer, enjoy creating your own animated cartoons, or simply like to edit your own snapshots at home, learn how to transition to Adobe Photoshop CS6. This most recent version is a little different, but Mama Shan is here to show you not only the newest features, but also how to launch Bridge, change the size of the layer panel thumbnails, as well as change the type preview font size. Once Photoshop is customized to your specs, you’ll be ready to edit anything!
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Frustrated by landscape photos that come out over or underexposed? With high contrast scenes - like the bright light of the sky against a darker landscape or seascape - your camera’s sensor can’t capture the complete range of tones in the picture. In this lesson, learn how graduated neutral density filters (also known as split ND filters) can help balance images out - as well as how and when to use them effectively.
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Confounded by the histogram your digital camera displays for each photo you shoot? Want to know how to capture the greatest amount of data possible for each image? In this digital photography tutorial, Julie explains the differences between luminosity histograms and RGB histograms, and teaches you how to avoid blown-out photos while maximizing your cameras megapixels.
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Hey photographer! Did you know that you can easily get your image in focus using the live view function of your digital camera? This functionality comes in really handy especially when you want to capture a quality close-up, but it’s useful for any picture. Learn which buttons on your camera are required, and how to interpret the digital display on your camera to take perfectly in-focus pictures.
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In this photography lesson Julie Waterhouse answers the question, “is it ok to break the Rule of Thirds?,” by first defining the rule of composition and then illustrating how it should be applied. You will learn when and how to apply the Rule of Thirds to strengthen your image with tension and dynamism and when to withhold the Rule to create a sense of balance and stability.
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Think that all you need is a good camera and a good bit of know-how in order to take great pictures? While that might be true, a tripod is a tool that can help improve your photography skills—and not just for portraits. In this photography lesson, Julie Waterhouse offers two reasons why you should use a tripod the next time you are out shooting.
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Are you a photographer who wants to learn how to create visually compelling images without the help of editing programs like Photoshop? In this lesson, Julie Waterhouse explains how to use wide-angle lenses to enhance your images, and offers seven simple tips that will improve your digital or film photography skills. Click on, shutterbugs!
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Want to capture a beautiful moment in the snow? Learn how to protect yourself and your gear next time you are shooting in cold weather. Also learn 8 tips for taking pictures in the snow, from which focal length, aperture, and shutter speed to use, to adjusting the white balance to keep snow the only color snow should ever be—white.
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Want to wow the world with the quality HD video you could be shooting with that iPhone in your pocket? This lesson will teach you the basics of shooting video on your iPhone 4, 4s, or 5. Once you are familiar with the camera app, learn how to hold and focus the camera, and how to view an accurate display of your video. Ready to shoot? Finish this lesson by learning ways to stabilize your camera to make your online video or tutorial appear smooth and fluid.
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Raphael’s painting, “The School of Athens” depicts two of the founding fathers of western philosophy, Plato and Aristotle, surrounded by other famed intellectuals from various years and countries, all in a very Roman space. It’s a visually pleasing painting, but what does it mean? What was Raphael’s purpose for creating it? In this art history lesson, learn the meaning behind “The School of Athens,” as well as the physics behind the hallmark of Roman architecture: the arch.
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Think you need an expensive and glamorous location to shoot a good looking music video? Think again! In this cinematography lesson from Tom Antos, learn how to shoot a music video full of contrast, depth, and definition, using a simple tungsten light and a rim light. Get great tips on how to add even more contrast with lights behind the subject, and learn how to add interest with a streak filter! After this tutorial, the only thing you’ll need is an artist to film who is worthy of your talents.
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Shooting a scene in which two people sit at the beach and talk sounds simple enough, but certain techniques must be employed to create a dynamic sequence. In this lesson on cinematography principles, Tom Antos begins by discussing the simplest and most common way to film a basic scene like this: using three angles, and employing the rule of thirds. Also, learn how different lenses affect the mood of your scene, and how to vary the framing of each shot just enough to avoid unsightly “jump cuts.”
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If you are skilled at teaching and have knowledge that you want to share, learn how to educate others by making the best lesson possible! This lesson from Curious Teacher Support is designed to help you grasp the fundamentals of shooting a lesson, from how to light your filming environment (no matter where it is), to recording the highest quality audio possible, to how to frame your shots for maximum impact. We know you’ve got something to say, so say it well with a quality lesson.
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Disappointed by your doodles, and wish you could draw better? Drawing well is about your hand being able to do what your brain tells it to do. And if your hand doesn’t have much practice at creating certain shapes or lines, the end result of your sketching may not look at all like it did in your mind’s eye. But drawing is a skill and the old saying “practice makes perfect” still applies—learn how to improve your drawing skills with this lesson from Drawing Teachers. Michael shows you a beautiful and interesting way to practice drawing shapes and lines.
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You don’t have to use a professional rig to get a cinematic look for your film—in this lesson, learn the common mistakes that lead to a less than professional looking video sequence, and how to get the look that you want! A cinematic aesthetic takes lots of planning, shooting at the right frame rate, and mastering manual settings (you’ll want to turn down the contrast and saturation on your camera, for starters). Done right, no one will know that you aren’t working with professional equipment.
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Don’t be dissuaded from pursuing your cinematic dreams because you are shooting with a DSLR—learn how to maximize your camera’s settings to shoot a great looking film! In this lesson, learn about the four essential features of a DSLR: the frame rate, shallow depth of field, recorded video that can be easily edited using any software, and the ability to turn night into day by using wide range lenses that maximize the available light. You’ll be surprised by what your camera can do!
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Preserve the memories from an amazing trip with a scrapbook! Whether you visited the the country of your ancestors or spent a week at a nearby beach, preserve the memories and share your experiences by creating a unique scrapbook of your trip. According to Aly, your scrapbook starts even before you depart (so pack a Ziploc bag to collect important bits of paper like maps or photos from your journey). Once you’ve enjoyed your vacation and gathered the pieces, Aly will show you how to make a beautiful scrapbook of your trip.
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