Discover Digital Photography

In this tutorial I'll show you an easy way to add a dreamy glowing effect to a portrait photo. As usual, I'll demonstrate the process using Photoshop Elements, but the process is the same in the full version of Photoshop CS, and should be similar in other image editing software.

Texture is an important aspect of photography. It can give your photos more of a 3D look, and change the way the subject is perceived.

I don't mean the texture of the paper you print your photos on, but texture captured in the image. An old person can be photographed to highlight the texture of their wrinkled skin, or they can be photographed with flat lighting to hide this texture and make them look a bit younger.

baavla, the charmer by nandadevieast on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

You can create surreal spark filled photos by burning steel wool during a long exposure photograph. In this article we'll look at what's involved to get great photos like this:

Black Materia by joo0ey on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

Filling the frame with your subject is a tip I've shared quite few times before, but in this article I want to look at doing the complete opposite. In some circumstances leaving a large area around your subject can result in a stronger image than cropping the subject closely.

Lampost sky by The Big Quack on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

Abandoned or forgotten farm trucks and other old equipment are a huge draw to photographers, both amateur and professional alike. These vehicles are often found sitting forlornly in a field or by an old rickety barn and they tell a story, sometimes an emotional one, that just begs to be explored and photographed. By using these fifteen helpful tips almost any photographer can guarantee themselves good (no, great) results when shooting the subject mentioned here.

Photograms are very different images to standard photos. Traditionally they were created by placing objects on a sheet of photographic (light sensitive) paper. The paper is then exposed, which turns the paper black, except for where the objects are blocking the light.

Photogram by aresauburn™ on flickr (licensed CC-BY-SA)

Objects that are translucent let through some light, and so appear in shades of grey, while objects that are opaque appear as solid white.

The effect of a photogram image can be replicated using a digital camera to capture the image, with no photographic paper needed. You will need:

Abstract photography can be used to create an image that conveys some combination of shape, lines, form, and color, without conveying a specific object or scene. A good way to find interesting abstract compositions can be to focus in tightly on detail of an object, rather than photographing the object itself.

With a close-up or macro lens, virtually any subject can be used to create an abstract composition. You just need to look at it closely, in a way that you wouldn't normally.

Close-up photo of a grater

In this article I'll share some ideas of good subjects for abstract macro photography, along with some photographic tips.

With so many types of lights and the infinite number of setup combinations, studio lighting could be the subject of a book. In fact, there are several books dedicated to just that. However, if you're interested in investing in some studio lighting equipment, there are a few basic things that every photographer should know.

With a good set of basic lighting tools, you should be able to shoot in most types of situations and subjects. Here is a run down on the most common types of studio lighting.

Most digital cameras offer a range of shooting modes, going from M (Manual), through A or Av (Aperture priority), S or Tv (Shutter priority), to P (Program mode - automatic). In this article we'll look at the Aperture priority mode, and why you might want to use this mode on your camera.

Famous locations (such as the Eiffel Tower in France and Mesa Arch in Utah, for example) can make great photographic subjects. But the problem is, there are likely to be plenty of other people there as well, getting in your shot. Even relatively unknown tourist destinations can get pretty busy.

So, how do you stop all the other tourists (who have as much right to be there as you) getting in the way and ruining your photo? Sometimes getting to the location really early in the morning, before anyone else is up, can be good enough to secure you a tourist-free photo.

But other times, this is not enough, or the location is not open early in the morning. In this case, we have to rely on the wonders of Photoshop (or similar image editing software).