Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Jason Hahn

Nature Photographer and Instructor at Hahn Nature Photography
Jason is a nature and adventure photographer who has been photographing all the amazing creatures and places this planet has to offer for over a decade. Also a Florida Master Naturalist, he enjoys teaching about photography and the natural world. He currently calls Florida home, with his wife, son, and more cats than he would like to admit. 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 his family.

You can find out more about Jason, including his photo workshops, at HahnNaturePhotography.com.

Latest posts by Jason Hahn (see all)

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!

Photographer of the Day: Isengardt

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "Mannequins " by  Isengardt The power of photography is its ability to make us feel and imagine from nothing more than a two-dimensional collection of dots on a piece of paper or computer screen. "Mannequins", by Isengardt, definitely makes you feel something, the best word I have to describe it is "uncomfortable".  This is a "rule breaker" image, and why it works so well. The mannequins have been transformed by the light and composition into something other than the typical figure of glamour we … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Isengardt

Get Ready to Remote, Part 2: Advanced Camera Traps

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There are places that can be too difficult to stay with a camera and shoot, there are events that are too dangerous to be around when they occur, and there are animals that are too shy of humans to ever get near to photograph. This is when photographers turn to using Photo or Camera Traps, a way to capture these types of images or video from a distance by remote control.   In part 1 of this series, I covered the fundamentals of creating a simple remote camera trap. Now that you have that skill in your proverbial photography toolbox, let's … [Read more...] about Get Ready to Remote, Part 2: Advanced Camera Traps

Landscapes in Luminar – Tips, Techniques, and a Simple Workflow for Beautiful Results

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Digging into Skylum's newest version of Luminar, the first question I had to answer is, "What can it do that will save me time, make my images look better, and not take forever to learn?" Once you open the program up, you find a tremendous amount of options for processing. But, it is an easy to learn program that I have found can help you make quick adjustments to get great results. These tips and techniques will help you sift through the options and features, so you can develop (pun intended) your own workflow, not just for your landscapes, … [Read more...] about Landscapes in Luminar – Tips, Techniques, and a Simple Workflow for Beautiful Results

How to Send Piles of Files – FTP Your Photos Directly From Lightroom Classic

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I would say, without a doubt, that Lightroom is one of the most used programs on my computer, second maybe only to Chrome. However, even as a convert from the first version of Lightroom and having logged about a zillion hours using it since then, I am still always learning something new that I can do with it. Partly from the consistent upgrades and improvements over the years, but, also because there are many hidden features for those of us willing to do a little spelunking around the program. One of these buried treasures is not in … [Read more...] about How to Send Piles of Files – FTP Your Photos Directly From Lightroom Classic

Photographer of the Day: Nic Taylor

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "Samyang AF 35mm F1.4 FE" by Nic Taylor Titled simply "Samyang AF 35mm F1.4 FE", this is one of a series of images Nic Taylor posted to the Photofocus flickr page. The brilliantly colored grid of umbrellas hanging against a drab sky grab both your eye and imagination. While it could have easily become too structured in this grid, this is balanced by capturing a portion of this street art display where the colors were randomly scattered. For what he labeled as simply a test shot, he has captured a … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Nic Taylor

Get Eye Level to Make More Powerful Animal Photos

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Whether it’s of a bird or a person, eye contact in a photo engages and draws the viewer into the photo, creating a connection between them and the subject. As easy as it sounds to just shoot when the critter is looking at you, rarely in the great outdoors are we lucky enough to just walk up to our subject and grab an instant masterpiece image of it. Getting eye level and capturing the right type of eye contact for your composition requires thought, a careful approach, and attention not just to the subject, but everything going on around … [Read more...] about Get Eye Level to Make More Powerful Animal Photos

How to Transform Your Photos With Texture Layers in Luminar 2018 Part 2

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(Editor's note: Photofocus author Jason Hahn continues his photo transformation with Part 2. Catch up on the core concepts in Part 1.) How to Create a Textured Composite For this composite, my goal was to produce a version of my galloping wild horses image that looks like it's been drawn and woodburned onto an old board. Not sure why, I just thought it would look cool... the inspiration behind many my composites. Having an idea of what you want to make before you start usually produces the best results. But, don't be so in love with your idea … [Read more...] about How to Transform Your Photos With Texture Layers in Luminar 2018 Part 2

How to Transform Your Photos With Texture Layers in Luminar 2018 Part 1

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(Editor's note: Photofocus author Jason Hahn introduces the core concepts of making textured composites in this article. Part 2 shows how to use them.) In the digital darkroom, we can take two paths with our images. The first is to use your photo processing software to get your image looking as close to what you saw when you took it. This is your standard digital darkroom workflow, adjusting your exposure, getting rid of dust spots, cropping, etc., with more of a focus on realism. The second path is to take that photo and transform it … [Read more...] about How to Transform Your Photos With Texture Layers in Luminar 2018 Part 1