Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Jason Hahn

Photographer, Writer and Instructor at Cypress Creek Studio
Jason is a nature, wildlife, adventure, fine art andstudio photographer who has been photographing all the amazing things this planet has to offer for nearly two decades.Also a writer and photography instructor, his latest venture is Cypress Creek Studio, a combination indoor and outdoor creative and learning destination for photographers and other artists.

When not writing about himself in the third person, he enjoys sunsets and long walks on the beach while carrying 40 pounds of camera gear. He can most often be found wading through a swamp, hunting down a good burger joint, or enjoying time with in the great outdoors.

Latest posts by Jason Hahn (see all)

How to make beautiful backgrounds with v-flats

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Taking a lesson from my nature photography roots for my studio work, I always try to compose my background first. With wildlife, this is often a split second decision in terms of positioning and adjustment. In the studio, you can be much more proactive and finely tune your background to fit your vision for the image. While I use a variety of different materials and scenes for backgrounds, I often use v-flats as a tool to control the look of my background. In this article are tips and techniques on how to use a v-flat either as the background, … [Read more...] about How to make beautiful backgrounds with v-flats

How to use negative fill to create deep, dramatic photos

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Photography is about capturing a brief moment of light. A large part of the art of photography is how we control light to create an image. Not just of a moment, but for how we want that moment to appear in the photograph. We alter the appearance of light with tools and techniques to add, remove or change the light and shadows in a scene to make our creative ideas into a photograph. By controlling the look of the light and shadows in our images we set mood and create emotion, from feelings of calm serenity to tense drama. One of the tools I use … [Read more...] about How to use negative fill to create deep, dramatic photos

Keeping your photography equipment safe around sand and salt water

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Beaches and coastal waters provide some of the best opportunities for nature photography, from wildlife to scenery, but sand and salt are probably two of the worst substances for your photography gear. Sand can scratch lenses, jam up tripods and focusing rings, and find its way into every nook and cranny in your gear. Saltwater can be death for electronics. While the extreme way to handle sand and salt is to avoid shooting in areas where they occur, doing this limits you from shooting in some great locations. Carry a paint brush In sandy … [Read more...] about Keeping your photography equipment safe around sand and salt water

In-depth review: The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II mirrorless camera

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Photography, as with any pursuit, has its share of trends and fads. Trends — the direction the technology and art is moving, change the way we think and how we create. Think in-camera metering, autofocus, color film, then the move to digital capture and post-processing. Each of these transformed the way we create images. Fads usually have more to do with photographic styles, some style or method of making images becomes popular, but eventually gets replaced with another momentary shiny look and then goes away. Mirrorless: Trend or fad? One … [Read more...] about In-depth review: The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II mirrorless camera

Photographer or model: Who owns the image?

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As a photographer, protecting the images you create is critical to your success. Your photography is your product, your art and your brand. As a model, protecting your likeness and how it is used is critical to your success. So when a photo is made by a photographer of a model, who owns it? And the answer is, the photographer. Shortest article I have ever written. The end. Copyright explained There may be a little more to copyright law and image usage than that. But, in most situations, the moment a photographer presses the shutter button … [Read more...] about Photographer or model: Who owns the image?

NSFW: Ethics of removing tattoos in post-processing

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At one time the idea of a tattooed model gracing the pages of any mainstream magazine, ad campaign, etc. was unheard of. While tattooed models still are not commonly seen in some genres, tattoos and other body art have become much more accepted and popular throughout the photographic world. People get inked for many reasons. The stereotype that they were all drunken bad decisions is rare today. Every tattoo has a story behind it. As a photographer, I see myself as a storyteller first. The story of this person includes their body art, and in my … [Read more...] about NSFW: Ethics of removing tattoos in post-processing

Understanding exposure: The shutter speed setting

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Exposure is the process of choosing the correct settings on your camera to produce a picture that "looks right;" not too bright, not too dark, and sharp where it should be. In this series, you will learn what each setting means, how they affect the way your images look, and how they work together to create an image that matches your creative ideas. In this article, we dive into the shutter speed setting, what it represents, and how to use it in your photography. What is the shutter? The shutter is like a door in front of your sensor or film … [Read more...] about Understanding exposure: The shutter speed setting

10 Quick Tips for Nature Photographers

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Like many people, my first few years of photography were spent going out to shoot as much as possible and trying to learn everything I could about the subject. As my portfolio grew, and I started sharing my images with others, I also started to write about photography–jotting down observations, thoughts about settings, fieldcraft, and composition. These make a good foundation for any nature photographer. 1. Know Your Equipment When it comes time to take a picture the settings and operation should be instinctive and habitual. If you are … [Read more...] about 10 Quick Tips for Nature Photographers

Understanding exposure: The aperture setting

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Exposure is the process of choosing the correct settings on your camera to produce a picture that "looks right;" not too bright, not too dark, and sharp where it should be. While your camera will figure all of this out for you, it's good to know how to take control away from your camera, and make sure it's making the right choices in each situation. In this series, you will learn what each setting means, how they affect the way your images look, and how they work together to create an image that matches your creative ideas. The process of … [Read more...] about Understanding exposure: The aperture setting

Making your own snow scene

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Recently I worked with a team of fellow creatives on an "Ice Queen" character concept and photoshoot. Since snow is in pretty short supply in sunny Florida, to create the snow-covered photo set we envisioned required much brainstorming, research and experimentation. While we could have resorted to a more Photoshop based approach and created the snow effects on the computer, we wanted to get as much of the winter effect in camera in one shot as possible. Filmmakers have long grappled with this issue and provided some very creative solutions. … [Read more...] about Making your own snow scene

Five tips for adding textures to your photos

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The term "texture" is a catch-all term for adding either abstract images, detailed photos, or patterns of different surfaces — like metal, cracked paint, sand, etc. — as an overlay on your image. This is a type of "compositing" combining multiple images into one finished work. Adding textures to your images can change the mood, create special effects, strengthen the composition or help better tell a story. These five concepts will help you add textures more easily, realistically and quickly in Adobe Photoshop. Finding textures While there are … [Read more...] about Five tips for adding textures to your photos

On Nature: How to compose moving wildlife

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Every animal has a distinct overall body geometry, but this shape will change dramatically as they move.  When you are composing your images, it's important to understand this concept so you are fitting your frame and composition to them, allowing them to be alive in your shot. Confession Time for full a disclosure, my name is Jason and I have a reddish egret addiction.  They are just too much fun to photograph! They dance, they canopy, they give dramatic, elegant, and sometimes goofy poses.  I have thousands of pictures of them, and I can't … [Read more...] about On Nature: How to compose moving wildlife

On Nature: What settings should I use for wildlife photography?

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When we talk about photographing behaviors and events as they unfold, we think about being “reactive,” or shooting on the fly. In a studio setting, we are “proactive,” we make decisions about pretty much every characteristic of the photo before it is taken. My goal with wildlife photography is to be more “proactive” and make as many choices before the action begins as possible, so I am not fumbling with settings when the good stuff goes down! Be a “ready” photographer Being a “ready” photographer means you are prepared for the things that … [Read more...] about On Nature: What settings should I use for wildlife photography?

Five tips and techniques for taking lightning photos

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The beauty and power of lightning has fascinated me since I was a kid. So it should probably not have been a surprise I would end up in Florida, the lightning capital of the United States. My home lies in an area that has received the distinction of being called "Lightning Alley," with more strikes per square mile recorded annually in the corridor from Tampa to Titusville than anywhere else in the US, the second most worldwide!   Despite having the possibility of lightning nearly any day of the year, it's still a difficult thing to find and … [Read more...] about Five tips and techniques for taking lightning photos

How to censor your photos for social media, non-destructively in Photoshop

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On many social media sites, for various reasons, we are seeing a high degree of censorship and banning for anything considered "Mature".* Regardless of your personal feelings on the matter, for those of us producing fine art nude or boudoir photography, it's becoming increasingly difficult to share our uncensored work over the internet. Here is a quick tip on how to create a frosted glass effect that nondestructively blurs only the parts of your image you choose, to satisfy the interweb censors and people parts police. In the interest of … [Read more...] about How to censor your photos for social media, non-destructively in Photoshop

NSFW: Working with models, the do’s and don’ts of implied, boudoir and nude photography

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About a year ago I started trying out other genres of photography as a way to jump out of my nature photo comfort zone, reshape my style, and give my creativity a kickstart.  This came after some pretty tough personal challenges and dark times that nearly ended my career. For whatever reason, after a few shoots, I found myself drawn to model photography. Beyond the initial shock of having to work indoors while not spending almost all my day knee or waist-deep in swamp water, the biggest surprise of all was how much I enjoyed the challenges of … [Read more...] about NSFW: Working with models, the do’s and don’ts of implied, boudoir and nude photography

How to Enhance Your Photos With Textures – Part 2: Blending

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When using textures to enhance your photos in Photoshop, blending is how you reveal your image below the texture layer or tell the texture layer how to combine with the layers below it. If you just import your texture image in over top of one of your photos, whichever image is at the top of your layer stack is the only one you will see. In this article you will learn the three main types of blending: transparency, blending modes, and masking, and how to use each of them to produce cool texture effects for your photos.   Be sure you have read … [Read more...] about How to Enhance Your Photos With Textures – Part 2: Blending

Wade Right In: A Nature Photographer’s Guide to Wading to Get the Best Shot

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I spend a lot of time in the water wading after shots, both in fresh and saltwater, so much so that I often joke I don't know how to work a camera unless I am wet.  Wading provides unique opportunities to approach wildlife or capture scenes that you simply can’t get from dry land. However, it can also be difficult and dangerous.  But, with education and preparation, you can keep yourself and your gear safe, while getting some amazing photo opportunities. Why Get In? Take 1 part camera, mix in 1 part saltwater, add 1 part clumsy photographer, … [Read more...] about Wade Right In: A Nature Photographer’s Guide to Wading to Get the Best Shot

3 Reasons Why You Should Print Your Photos Really Big

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Many of us love the experience of creating photos but have a habit of stockpiling those photos on a mishmash of drives and cloud storage, where they remain unseen by ourselves or anyone else.  Sometimes guilty of this myself, I long ago stopped printing my work. With web-based portfolios, social media, cloud file delivery, and all my customers and audience online, why bother? Over time, I got rid of all my printers, outsourced everything and generally avoided anything to do with putting ink on paper.  I'm sure I am not alone in this. How many … [Read more...] about 3 Reasons Why You Should Print Your Photos Really Big

How to Enhance Your Photos With Textures – Part 1: Adding Textures

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In photography a texture image or "texturing" is used to enhance or accent some part of the image in your digital darkroom. Although they can help you create eye-catching works of art, textures also can be very easy to overdo. In this article I'll explain my process for adding textures to my photography using Adobe Stock and Photoshop to create more impact, transform the mood of the image, or improve the composition. Origins Using textures originated in the days of film by using different techniques in the darkroom. Methods included … [Read more...] about How to Enhance Your Photos With Textures – Part 1: Adding Textures

How to Make Your Photos Look Great with Curves Layers in Luminar

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Curves layers are one of the most misunderstood, yet more powerful adjustments you can make. Our images are all made up of pixels, which each have values for color and luminosity. With Curves adjustments, we can remap the pixels' values for these, changing them to be brighter or darker, or changing their color.  In Skylum Software's Luminar you can add multiple curves filters, and make each layer target very specific parts of your image.  This will give your images more depth, dimension, and beautiful color. Add Luminosity and Color … [Read more...] about How to Make Your Photos Look Great with Curves Layers in Luminar

Photographer of the Day: Neil Edwin Sinadjan

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "Hold on to hope" by Neil Edwin Sinadjan In photography, we often label photos by their genre and style.  The beauty of the powerful image "Hold on to hope" by Neil Edwin Sinadjan is that it transcends these labels.  This scene is from the Traslación of the Black Nazarene, a procession through the streets of the city Quiapo, in the Philipines, that attracts millions of devotees.  The Black Nazarene is a carving made by an unknown Mexican artist in the 16th century, and transported to the Philippines. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Neil Edwin Sinadjan

The Life Cycles Approach to Wildlife Photography – Part 2: Capturing the Complete Picture

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Wildlife photography from a life cycle approach not only gives structure and purpose to your photography but also adds to the broader knowledge about these creatures that is necessary to understand and protect them. Every time you create a wildlife photo, you can help educate others about the general awesomeness that is nature, and to the specific awesomeness that is this particular animal. Pretty cool when you think about it that way! (Have I mentioned I truly love what I do and this is one of the big reasons why?) In the first part of this … [Read more...] about The Life Cycles Approach to Wildlife Photography – Part 2: Capturing the Complete Picture

Photographer of the Day: Johann Walter Bantz

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "try an approach I" by Johann Walter Bantz Abstract photos go against many of the "rules" of photography, giving the artist the freedom to capture images of anything the grabs their eye and expresses their creativity.  Used in street  photography, abstractions  can create some interesting and imaginative imagery as we see here in  "try an approach I" by Johann Walter Bantz. At first glance this appears as an abstract watercolor painting. But as you look longer, the scene of a foggy water-covered … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Johann Walter Bantz

The Life Cycles Approach to Wildlife Photography – Part 1: Learning and Telling the Story

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Every chance you have with a wild animal in front of your lens is an opportunity not just to capture split-second moments of action or behavior, but to also learn more about its life story. The things this creature does daily to survive and thrive in an often harsh world. As photographers, we are storytellers. By telling an animal's tale through your photography, you reveal one of countless stories being played out as part of a greater whole within the place this animal calls home. Not just the story of an animal, but also a family, a species, … [Read more...] about The Life Cycles Approach to Wildlife Photography – Part 1: Learning and Telling the Story

Photographer of the Day: Dawna Moore

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "GMC Christmas" by Dawna Moore If you would like to experience a beautiful vision of a vintage holiday, look no further than this image, "GMC Christmas" by Dawna Moore. Part holiday cheer, part nostalgia, it's a warmly lit scene featuring Christmas decorations along with a nice slice of Americana. Beyond these elements, the composition and lighting are excellent, from the technical choices with aperture to create the starbursts on the Christmas lights, to the balance of complimentary colors with … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Dawna Moore

Photographer of the Day: Mark Meyer zur Heide

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "Oslo No. 1" by Mark Meyer zur Heide What is particularly compelling about this image, "Oslo No. 1" by Mark Meyer zur Heide, is it let's you imagine nearly endless stories for the scene, what this place is, and who the person is passing through it. The anonymous silhouette could be anyone, on their way to or from anything, passing through a seemingly futuristic place, where the light and patterns are almost hypnotic. The strong lines, reflections, and color gradients capture your eye, and lead you … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Mark Meyer zur Heide

Photographer of the Day: Bert de Bruin

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "Moto" by  Bert de Bruin Although I don't ride myself, there are few times where I won't stop and admire a beautiful bike like the one featured in "Moto" by Bert de Bruin. There is just something about the gleaming chrome and sleek lines that grabs both your attention and imagination. The challenge is in capturing that same feeling in a photo, which was done very well here. If you look past the metal and machinery, there is a subtle geometry at work, look at how often the triangle shape appears … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Bert de Bruin

Photographer of the Day: Jim Sollows

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "I’m sure there are many stories behind this old bike!" by  Jim Sollows It is often easier to say that you like an image versus trying to explain why you like it. For me it usually comes down to a few simple tests. Does it make me feel something? Does it make me imagine the story of the scene? Jim Sollows' photo, "I’m sure there are many stories behind this old bike!" does both, and his title captures perfectly what we are all probably thinking when taking in this photo. His composition pulls you … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Jim Sollows

Photographing a Dangerous and Extreme Force of Nature, Wildfires!

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Nature is extraordinarily complex and beautiful. It is easy to forget in our modern world just how powerful its forces are. Being a nature photographer presents constant, humbling reminders of this fact! A large part of what drives me is wanting to experience every facet of nature, then create and share images of these forces at work. In doing so, I am often going into potentially dangerous situations for me and my gear.   In my part of the world, wildfires are a necessity to the health of our ecosystems. But, they are, to put it bluntly, … [Read more...] about Photographing a Dangerous and Extreme Force of Nature, Wildfires!