We have had another terrific week in the world of photography, with artists and authors creating and posting tutorials, special features and great photography in all corners of the internet.
Toad Hollow Photography has been searching all over for the best links to these features to share here with everyone, and we are hopeful that photography enthusiasts of all types will find something of interest. As always, the Toad hopes you enjoy checking this list out as much as he did in compiling it for you.
TUTORIALS
How to Get a Blurry Background in Your Photos: A 5 Minute Bokeh Tutorial – creating bokeh in a photograph is a topic that is often asked when chatting with people about photography, and here we have a great, brief tutorial that shows you how to do it yourself, even with a kit lens. The concepts are all rooted in physics and light, and this terrific primer article strips away all the technical jargon to get right to the heart of the matter.
30 Image Composition Styles for Taking Good Pictures – this in-depth article discusses 30 different compositional considerations for capturing stunning photographs, with each point having a great sample shot to show you how to apply it to a particular scene. We get a wide variety of coverage here in terms of various techniques, and this is a great place to start when trying to take your compositions up to the next level.
Learn How to Make Selections in Photoshop – learning how to take full advantage of the selection tools in Photoshop is key to creating the polished, completed images we all strive for with our photography. This tutorial covers this topic in great detail in this 28 minute video tutorial.
Tips on how to take striking photographs of your cat – tutorials that include great example shots of the topic being covered are always favorites, but when the topic includes a heart-melting kitten the concept gets ratcheted up significantly. This article on its own is full of great insights into how to capture incredible cat shots, and the included pictures of the author’s amazing cat make this a must-see destination in this week’s list.
5 Tips on How to Choose a Location for Natural Light Portraiture – shooting in natural light can be quite challenging inasmuch as you don’t have direct control over light direction, color and intensity. This tutorial covers 5 points to consider when shooting in natural light accompanied by some great sample shots to show you how these points affect the finished result.
Learn how to colorize black and white photos in only 4 minutes – as promised, this tutorial covers the basics of colorizing a black-and-white image in 4 minutes with a brief video tutorial. The article also includes the basic steps in the write-up, and screenshots give some needed context as you move through learning this skill.
Learn how to get the perfect light on your subject with this light modifiers comparison – with so many different types and sizes of light modifiers available to the contemporary photographer, it’s always great to have a source to show the differences that each one can have in the final image. This video tutorial is around 8 minutes in length and compares several popular choices, and shows you how each one creates a different feel when used.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Masonic Lodges of Vancouver Island – we here at Toad Hollow Photography were lucky enough last year to be invited into two Masonic Lodges on Vancouver Island to photograph them inside and out in an effort to document them photographically for historical purposes, and for a magazine spread. This post discusses those visits and shares the photographs we captured.
Photographer spent 3 years capturing glorious beauty of humpback whales – this incredible post features a short video clip and a set of black-and-white portraits of one of the world’s largest animals in their natural habitat; the humpback whale. These shots took years to create and accumulate and give us an intimate and fascinating look at these creatures as they interact with their surroundings and the photographer.
‘FRACTAL’ Captures the Beauty and Fury of Powerful Storms – just over 3 minutes in length, this video feature uses timelapse to share incredible scenes captured by chasing dramatic storms around the country with camera in hand. The incredible natural formations created many of the cloud structures lend themselves naturally to the fractal concept of the title, and they do a great job of showing us in the magical fury that nature can unleash.
Subodh Shetty: Inspiring and Gorgeous Colorful Portraits of People in India – this article features an interview with photographer Subodh Shetty who shares deep insights into what drives his photography vision and practice. Wonderful photographs dot the article as you read along, showing you glimpses of the people that comprise the people of India as encountered by Subodh.
GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY
Misty Slovenia – a tiny building sits atop a small hill, completely shrouded in a thick, moody fog, as a light source covers the facade giving it a glow that creates a sense of the ethereal in this amazing picture by Daniel Fleischhacker. The deep blues from the low light of the blue hour add to the overall feel of the photograph, helping to finish off this composition perfectly.
Rays of Light – Bodie State Historic Park, Bridgeport, California – you just cannot beat old and weathered structures for the character and artistic tension they possess, often keeping secrets within the walls that are never told or shared. This shot comes to us from Len Saltiel, showing us the inside of a long abandoned house in the historic Bodie region of California, a once thriving town that today is not inhabited.
Dubai nightscape – Manjik photography shares a great cityscape shot of this incredible city, captured at night to help make the contemporary buildings really stand out. The ribbon of water that fills the center of the frame acts as a perfect leading line, taking you into the frame where the details of the architecture stand out.
The Castle of Chinchón – the country of Spain is full of rich history, and in this post by Astaroth we visit an old stone castle that was built in the 15th century. This collection of shots showcases the exterior of the building from a variety of angles and compositions, showing not just the building, but also the surroundings.
Boooom – David Alvarez Velicia creates an extremely dynamic image by capturing a raging storm as it pounds waves against a seawall. The incredible wave carries with it a sense of motion, creating a visual that immerses the viewer into the heart of a storm conjured up by nature itself.
Daniel HACHEFixer Upper – if you are expecting a straight line to exist anywhere in this frame, you will be highly disappointed. Michael Criswell takes a frontal shot of a long abandoned house that exhibits extreme weathering from years of living, finishing it off as a black-and-white to accent the drama found in the scene.
Lion at Sunset – a majestic male lion stops to reflect upon the sunset that casts golden tones across it’s wonderfully detailed face in this shot by Chris Fischer. There is an incredible sense of artistic tension in the big cat’s face as it looks westward contemplating the end of day. This is a beautiful portrait of an amazing lion in its natural habitat.
when the winter wind blows – the majesty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains takes full form in this terrific black-and-white shot by Frank King that features a frozen lake surrounded by jagged mountain peaks. The monochromatic processing technique that Frank used to finish this shot does a great job of exploring the raw drama found in this beautiful region of Canada.
~ Amsterdam ~ – stars twinkle overhead as the old buildings that line the canals of Amsterdam create incredible character that can only be found in this ancient city. Remo Scarfò does a terrific job with this composition, highlighting the colors and fascinating architecture of the buildings that draw you into the picture.
Male Cardinal, Minnesota – Mark Paulson shares a great shot of a solitary male Cardinal bird perched on a limb against a stark background presumably found in winter. The vibrant colors of the bird along with the shallow depth-of-focus work well together to help this tiny feathered subject pop out from the backdrop.
The Manhattan Night – The City That Never Sleeps – John S shares a great cityscape shot of this world-class city at night, capturing an often-seen composition and then processing it with a very unique style and feel. In this rendition of the Manhattan cityscape, John brings out the golden hues and tones, helping to accent the feeling of wonder that witnessing such a dynamic city from this perspective creates.
Fishermans Walk Trail – Wayne Beauregard’s shot was captured on a bright and sunny day, featuring a building and a pier that create a strong natural leading line into the frame where a still reflection greets the viewer. The waters in this shot are so still that they create an almost mirror like reflection of the scene, adding a terrific element to this composition.
Bruges Noir – deep contrasts, dark shadows and crisp details all converge in this amazing black-and-white shot from Jason Row taken in the heart of night in Belguim. The old stonework in the buildings the line the still waters that fill the center of the frame exude terrific texture in the monochrome, and a mirror-like reflection adds an awesome finishing touch.
Finding Beauty Close to Home – Laurie MacBride shows us why there is always something to be discovered for the photography enthusiast close to home in this amazing shot captured on the west coast of Canada. This picture showcases the incredible beauty of the forested landscapes and the still waters found in the morning which create an incredible reflection of the setting and the clouds that slowly drift overhead.
Church of St. George, Piran – videophotoart com delivers a highly artistic piece with this shot that takes on a painterly look in the soft tones and details. This shot focuses on an old church in Europe as seen looking out over a body of water.
Costa Rica – this tropical getaway spot is always beautiful with little variance in the daily temperatures no matter what season is current. Ron Niebrugge shares a great shot of some of the foliage and a small waterfall, making a picture that whisks us away someplace warm and serene in an instant.
St Pauls monochrome – a stunning architectural study is posted here by David Abbs that features the interior of a dramatic and storied church. David finishes this shot off as a black-and-white to accent the textures and details of this incredible space, drawing you into the frame where a leading line culminates in a terrific vanishing point in the distance.
Moulin Rouge at night – Jim Nix take us along to a well-known place in Paris, France that is popular with everyone who visits the famous city. This shot was taken at night and showcases the terrific neon lights and features of the building.
A free ride – the only thing cuter than a Sloth Bear is one with two cubs riding on her back as the family crosses a road. Wonderful expressions in the animals are captured in this great frame by Vipul Ramanuj creating a picture that wildlife photography enthusiasts will really enjoy.
