Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Brian Matiash

My name is Brian Matiash and I am a working photographer and author based in Portland, OR. I specialize in landscape & travel photography and have spent over seven years educating and inspiring photographers all around the world with my tutorials, videos, and presentations.

Additionally, I work for Sony as the Alpha Team's Social & Content Strategist and am a member of Sony’s Artisans of Imagery program. I also contribute regularly to Photofocus, Lynda.com and a variety of other online and print publications.

Admittedly, I have [not-so] tiny obsessions with long-exposure photography, neutral density filters and fisheye lenses. Basically, my passion is helping others help themselves with their pursuits of photography.

Latest posts by Brian Matiash (see all)

The Visual Palette – The Dutch Tilt

0

Welcome to the fourth of six posts focused on topics found in my newest book, The Visual Palette. Each of these posts will include a free sample download from my book for you to download and enjoy. You can also check out Part 3 in case you missed it. You can learn more about my first published book by clicking on the button at the bottom of this post! Directionality is a powerful tool when you think about composition. If your photo is a map, then you are the guide and it's up to you to help the viewer decipher how to navigate it. One way to … [Read more...] about The Visual Palette – The Dutch Tilt

The Visual Palette – A Friend in Distortion

0

Welcome to the third of six posts focused on topics found in my newest book, The Visual Palette. Each of these posts will include a free sample download from my book for you to download and enjoy. You can also check out Part 2 in case you missed it. You can learn more about my first published book by clicking on the button at the bottom of this post! The word "Distortion" is usually synonymous with being an aberrationsomething you correct for and go to great lengths to avoid. And sure, depending on the nature of your photography, that very … [Read more...] about The Visual Palette – A Friend in Distortion

A Deeper Look: The Peak Design Everyday Messenger Bag

2

You may have heard the story of a San Francisco-based company that focuses on making amazing accessories for us photographers. In case you haven't, I'm talking about Peak Design. Now, I'm going to come right out and say itI absolutely love everything that Peak Design makes. The attention to detail that they pour into their products, as well as their amazing customer support, makes recommending them an easy decision. Recently, Peak Design teamed up with photographer, Trey Ratcliff, to design a messenger bag that offers features, functionality, … [Read more...] about A Deeper Look: The Peak Design Everyday Messenger Bag

The Visual Palette – Depth of Field

0

Welcome to the second of six posts focused on topics found in my newest book, The Visual Palette. Each of these posts will include a free sample download from my book for you to download and enjoy. You can also check out Part 1 in case you missed it. You can learn more about my first published book by clicking on the button at the bottom of this post! Often times, the term, Depth of Field (DoF), is mentioned as it relates to the quality of fast lenses. We associate fast lenses are large apertures with creating a shallow DoF, and that is very … [Read more...] about The Visual Palette – Depth of Field

The Visual Palette – Allies in Perspective and Distortion

0

Welcome to the first of six posts focused on topics found in my newest book, The Visual Palette. Each of these posts will include a free sample download from my book for you to download and enjoy. You can learn more about my first published book by clicking on the button at the bottom of this post! When I first set out to write The Visual Palette, my hope was that it would serve as a guide for all of the photographers out there who strive to identify what their unique visual style looks like. One of the most important steps in this journey is … [Read more...] about The Visual Palette – Allies in Perspective and Distortion

A Closer Look: Mindshift Gear Backlight 26L Camera Bag

5

My friends at Mindshift Gear sent over one of their newest bag: the Backlight 26L for me to review. This bag is perfect for anyone looking to fit a bunch of gear for a basic day shoot or even a 2-3 day shoot. Lots of space and superb build quality. Check out the video review for more details! You can order your own Backlight 26L from Amazon using the links below: Backlight 26L (Greenfield) Backlight 26L (Charcoal) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr0PQHFWK98&feature=youtu.be Questions about this column? Just leave them in the Comments … [Read more...] about A Closer Look: Mindshift Gear Backlight 26L Camera Bag

Adobe releases Lightroom 6.2.1 Maintenance Patch + An Author’s Rant

34

If you're one of the more wide-eyed people who updated to Adobe Lightroom 6.2 right after it was launched a few days ago, you have likely come to rue that decision. Between the "Fisher Price"-ification of the Import flow to the ridiculous crashes caused due to bugs in the software, this update left much to be desired. Fortunately, Adobe has made good and released a critical maintenance update that supposedly fixes some of the issues. I still take umbrage with their decision to regress the Import workflow functionality by removing key features … [Read more...] about Adobe releases Lightroom 6.2.1 Maintenance Patch + An Author’s Rant

Quick Photo Tip: Have doubts? Just pan!

1

I suspect a lot of photographers can relate to the scenario of arriving on location with your camera but without much certainty about what to do with it. This happens to me a lot. Its not like we always have the luxury of having every frame mapped out before we even arrive. Sometimes, there is a foggy vagueness that you need to contend with before things begin falling into place. When this happens, it helps to have something to pull out of your bag o trickssome go-to thing that you can do to at least engage the creative portion of your brain. … [Read more...] about Quick Photo Tip: Have doubts? Just pan!

A First Look: The Apple iPhone 6s Plus

13

On Friday, September 25th, Apple released the next addition to their industry-shaking smartphone, the iPhone. Customers who were fast enough to preorder either the iPhone 6s and/or the iPhone 6s Plus either queued up in front of their local Apple Store or had a courier deliver their unit(s) to their doors. For the past year, I've used an unlocked 128Gb Silver iPhone 6 Plus and have been exceptionally pleased with it. So, when preorders for this next generation of smartphones went live, I stuck with what I knew and ordered an unlocked 128Gb … [Read more...] about A First Look: The Apple iPhone 6s Plus

The Era of The Entitled Photographer

24

I am a very lucky guy. I grew up in a household with parents who immigrated from Russia with absolutely nothing to their names and who worked so hard chasing the classic American Dream. They taught themselves English, found themselves jobs, and leaned heavily on their strong work ethic to earn for their family and provide me and my sister with everything we needed, giving us everything they never had as children. In other words, I was a spoiled Brooklyn kid. However, whatever misgivings I may have had as a spoiled child seems to pale in … [Read more...] about The Era of The Entitled Photographer

Sony announces the A7R II, RX100 IV, & RX10 II

0

Aside from visiting my family in NYC for the past few days, the main reason why I am here is to attend a very special press event held by Sony to announce the much sought after a7R II Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and major updates to the RX100 IV and RX10 II. There have been months of anticipation and speculation about this body and now it's finally here... and it certainly does not disappoint! The Sony a7R II This is the camera everyone has been waiting for. One of the hardest things was knowing the details of this camera for a … [Read more...] about Sony announces the A7R II, RX100 IV, & RX10 II

A Closer Look at Sony’s New “Touchless Shutter” app

5

We've all been there. Out in the middle of who knows where, setting up for a shot that absolutely requires the camera to be perfectly still. You reach into your camera bag to grab your remote cable release only to realize that it is sitting all comfy on your desk at home. Or worse, you don't even own a remote cable release. Now, you're playing into the risk of introducing micro shakes with your camera as you reach for and press the shutter button. If you're a Sony photographer, though, you're in luck thanks to the release of a new free app in … [Read more...] about A Closer Look at Sony’s New “Touchless Shutter” app

3 Tips On Photographing Lower Antelope Canyon

6

The last time I visited Lower Antelope Canyon, near Page, AZ, was in February 2014. I had arrived with about an hour before the local Navajo operators were closing for the evening, so my time exploring the area was brief. As I was ushered out of the canyon by the diligent canyon keepers, I knew I would have to return and ensure ample time to take properly survey the area with my camera. Fortunately, that opportunity presented itself a little over a year later, when I returned to the undulating and confined spaces of this marvelous slot canyon … [Read more...] about 3 Tips On Photographing Lower Antelope Canyon

Lightroom CC’s New Brush Feature For The Graduated Filter

18

Adobe released Lightroom CC/6 this week much to the delight of its loyal users. I put together a tutorial video that walks through a few of the new features, notably the new Brush tools with the Graduated Filter, auto pano stitching, and some other smaller odds and ends that you may have overlooked. If you have any questions about Lightroom, let me know in the comments section! … [Read more...] about Lightroom CC’s New Brush Feature For The Graduated Filter

Five Items For The Cold Weather Photographer

6

Editor's Note: While You might have summer on your mind, now's the perfect time to put your plans together for winter shooting. Recently, I went on a 2 1/2 week trip to Iceland and Norway during the winter season. Upon doing my research of the historic weather reports for those areas during that time of year, along with looking at the current forecasts, I was able to get a good idea as to what I should expect. I also had lots of conversations with fellow adventure photographers who have been to these areas about recommended accessories to keep … [Read more...] about Five Items For The Cold Weather Photographer

A Simple Tip For All Photographers: Just Be There and Get The Shot

19

Recently, I saw a collection of April Fools posts on Facebook by photographers who tried baking in some irony by sharing photos from a oft-photographed US National Park that they dubbed as their most creatively challenging, all while being derisive about the homogeny of photos being posted by others online. Now, while I know that these posts were mostly written in jest, I also believe that there is truth behind every joke, especially if you continued on to read the comments on each of the posts. As I read these posts, I felt a tinge of sadness … [Read more...] about A Simple Tip For All Photographers: Just Be There and Get The Shot

Easy Photo Geotagging Using Your Smartphone

14

Geotagging, or the act of applying detailed geographic coordinates, to my photos is exceptionally important to me. I do a lot of traveling and am often photographing in remote areas. So, being able to remember exactly where I took a particular photo has saved my bacon a number of times. Additionally, it just makes things so much easier if/when I want to return to a particular spot to have another crack at a photo. Finally, when I'm out shooting, it's important to me that I don't keep my feet planted in one place. I want to know that I was … [Read more...] about Easy Photo Geotagging Using Your Smartphone

A Primer in Urban Exploration

3

UrbEx and Me Growing up in New York City gave me a very strong appreciation for architecture. After all, I was surrounded by some of the grandest and most densely packed buildings on the planet. However, that appreciation didn't fully mature until I began immersing myself in photography during my freshman year of college in 1996. Fortunately, Syracuse University, my alma mater, had a wonderful selection of architectural styles on display throughout the vast campus, so my fascination with buildings continued to grow. It wasn't until later on, … [Read more...] about A Primer in Urban Exploration

Five Beautiful Waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest

13

Before I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2011, I had never seen a waterfall. I suppose you wouldn't expect to see one in the middle of Brooklyn or Manhattan, where I grew up. So, you could imagine my incredulous amazement when one of my colleagues from my former employer, onOne Software, took me to see my first waterfall. Since then, Ive had the fortune of visiting many more waterfalls in Oregon and Washington, each offering its own charm and varying degrees of distance and difficulty to get to. So, Id like to share five beautiful waterfalls … [Read more...] about Five Beautiful Waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest

Editing with Lightroom – Exploring the Southwest

8

Earlier this year, I visited a bunch of gorgeous locations throughout the southwest US. If you want to know what it's like to have your jaw drop wide open, just head over to areas like White Pocket in the Vermilion Cliffs of Arizona. I honestly have never seen landscapes quite like the ones over there. I thought it'd be fun to share a video I put together where I walk through my entire composition and editing processes for one of the photos I took at White Pocket. Here's a teaser before/after image followed by the video itself. As always, … [Read more...] about Editing with Lightroom – Exploring the Southwest

Adobe releases Camera Raw 8.7.1 w/support for the new Sony a7II

0

I received my Sony a7II last Friday and immediately grabbed a lens to rifle off some test shots. I've already shared my thoughts on how solid of a camera it is. However, when I tried to import the RAW files off of the SD card, I was greeted by a momentary state confusion when I saw row after row of 'Preview not available for this file' in Lightroom's Importer. Alas, I had forgotten what happens when a new camera is released before RAW profile support is available! Fortunately, Adobe is making good on catching up with the new hardware that … [Read more...] about Adobe releases Camera Raw 8.7.1 w/support for the new Sony a7II

A First Look Video at the new Sony a7II

5

About two weeks ago, Sony announced the next iteration of their popular a7 full frame mirrorless camera with the Sony a7II. While the camera is not due out for another week or so, I received a unit this morning and recorded a quick First Look video, comparing it to its predecessors, the Sony a7 and a7R. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYXXeH_BtRA Most notable about this camera is that it's the first to feature 5-axis in-body image stabilization. This means that any lens you attach to this camera will have the benefit of image stabilization … [Read more...] about A First Look Video at the new Sony a7II

I Am Thankful

4

At first blush, the cynic in me questions why there has to be a singular day where Americans acutely focus a laser-like concentrated beam on being thankful. Why do we have a federal holiday devoted to expressing thanks? Isn't one of the hallmarks of being a genuinely humble person to be thankful every day? Maybe so. But then the optimist in me comes out and asks, "What's so wrong about spending a day with loved ones to be jovial and take stock of not only what we have but, more importantly, why we have it and why we're thankful for it all? I am … [Read more...] about I Am Thankful

Review: NY Through The Lens

0

I moved to Portland several years ago and aside from a brief, year-long stint in California, I've really come to consider the Rose City my home. With that said, for as long as I'm breathing, I'll still be a Brooklyn kid. I was born in Brooklyn and lived there through all of my formative years. New York City is every bit a part of me as it ever was, even if I do currently live approximately 3,000 miles away. So, you could imagine my delight when I received my preorder of NY Through The Lens, authored by my wonderfully talented friend, Vivienne … [Read more...] about Review: NY Through The Lens

My journey of moving to mirrorless

10

I recently released a free eBook called Moving to Mirrorless that chronicles my transition from the Canon dSLR system to the Sony mirrorless system. This excerpt outlines why I made the move and wrote the book. Enjoy! My Move to Mirrorless You may have read or heard this before but now is a truly amazing time to be a photographer. The rate of innovation that the photo industry is experiencing is staggering, with companies producing new cameras and lenses that keep improving on image quality and functionality while also shedding multiple … [Read more...] about My journey of moving to mirrorless

Five Must-Have Photo Accessories For Every Landscape Photographer

3

With all of the money that photographers spend on their cameras, lenses and tripods, it can be easy to overlook some of the smaller accessories that may truly have a material impact on your actual shooting experiences. The photo accessories industry is teeming with all sorts of goodies & gadgets that range from pure utility to chic fashion. Everything from camera straps to lens cloths to filter holders, there is a size and style to suit the taste of just about any photographer. And, for us landscape photographers, we've got another level … [Read more...] about Five Must-Have Photo Accessories For Every Landscape Photographer

Four Photo Tips To Improve Your Compositions

4

The act of creating a photograph typically falls into two broad camps. I would argue that in both camps, there are several fundamental tips around composition to always keep in the forefront of your creative mind whenever you reach for your camera or smartphone to capture something photographically. But before we get into that, let's take a look at the two broad camps of photographs that I just referred to. They are: Camp 1: There is the off-the-cuff snap, usually relegated for documentation purposes, like receipts or parking spot reminders, … [Read more...] about Four Photo Tips To Improve Your Compositions

Exclusive Hands-on Review: The Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS Lens

42

Disclaimer: As a member of Sony's Artisans of Imagery program, I recently had the opportunity to extensively use an internal copy of the newly announced (and not-yet-released) Sony Zeiss FE 16-35mm f/4 lens. This review chronicles my experiences while using this lens in the field. Additionally, all photos and opinions are based off of a pre-production version of this lens. Any aspect of this lens are subject to change when released by Sony. Switching to Sony When Sony first announced their disruptive line of full-frame mirrorless cameras with … [Read more...] about Exclusive Hands-on Review: The Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS Lens

Photo Face Off: iPhone 6 vs Android

11

iPhone Day! Yesterday, I woke up at 6AM morning to head over to the Apple Store at Pioneer Place in Portland, OR. It was "iPhone Day" after all and there was a 128GB silver iPhone 6 Plus with my name on it somewhere in that store. Fortunately, I successfully preordered mine last Friday and somehow managed to be the very first person in the Reservations line, whereas the line for the day-of purchasers literally wrapped around the entire city block. But based on the global news reporting on this launch, no one should be surprised. The Face Off … [Read more...] about Photo Face Off: iPhone 6 vs Android

Improve your composition by using obstacles

4

I'm sure many of you photographers reading this post can sympathize with the plight of ever-maneuvering ourselves and our cameras around so that we can omit any obstacles from our frame. Whether we're contorting in some undiscovered yoga position or have our tripods defying gravity with the way they're being balanced, we go to great lengths to remove obstacles. And in a lot of cases, it's probably warranted. Why have them there? They'll only serve as distractions, right? Well.... not so fast. What if you simply couldn't get past omitting an … [Read more...] about Improve your composition by using obstacles