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)

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

Photographer of the Day: Denis Malciu

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "1" by  Denis Malciu The image "1" by Denis Malciu displays a perfect choice of composing in black and white, simplifying what could have otherwise been a very busy photo. As the crowd stands in rapt attention to the dancers' performance, they frame the dancers instead of competing with them. Imagine if instead this photo was presented in color. The dancers could have easily gotten lost against that sea of people and the variety of textures and colors they are wearing. Instead the photographer … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Denis Malciu

Get Ready to Remote, Part 1: Simple Camera Traps For Wildlife

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Go out into the great outdoors. Find a place that animals like to hang out when people aren't around. Set up your camera to automatically take a photo of them when they do show up. Leave it there. Come back tomorrow to see if you got any shots. Repeat it all over again until you get the awesome shots you want of those shy, hard to photograph animals. Welcome to Remote Camera Traps! In previous articles, I've shared the different ways I've used Platypods in my photography. Possibly one of the best uses I have found is in helping set up a … [Read more...] about Get Ready to Remote, Part 1: Simple Camera Traps For Wildlife

Photographer of the Day: in the streets of vienna

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "lost in white" by in the streets of vienna Simplicity and symmetry are the first two things that grab my attention in the image "lost in white". The moment of the women in mid-stride is perfectly framed by the columns, her black outfit in stark contrast to the white building she walks past. One of the smallest details that adds life to the image is the raised foot and slight bit of motion blur. This creates the sense of movement in the image, bringing her and it to life, a beautiful example of a … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: in the streets of vienna

Photographer of the Day: Pierre Pichot

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "Ghost_19" by Pierre Pichot One of the most powerful aspects of photography is its ability elicit emotions in us. But, our emotions can also change how we perceive an image. The first time I saw Pierre Pichot's photo "Ghost_19" I thought, "Cool, that has a great dark mood, it's kinda creepy". The next time, "It seems very melancholy, I wonder who that is and what they are thinking".  The next time, "It feels like there is a sense of foreboding, like something bad is about to happen". Each time I … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Pierre Pichot

What to Do When Your Camera Gets Dropped in Water

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I recently noticed my camera had a lot of dirt on it, so I took it to the nearest creek and threw it in for a good scrubbing. OK, maybe not, what actually happened was every photographer's nightmare. Setting up on the side of a creek to photograph a series of rapids, I tripped, with the result of my camera getting a solid dunking. Now, speaking from experience, this is what we call an "Oh [email protected]#t!!!..." moment. A 10 on the "Brown Pants" scale. In other words, an unpleasant experience. However, quick action and a proper drying out process can, … [Read more...] about What to Do When Your Camera Gets Dropped in Water

Do’s and Don’ts of Photographing Cemeteries and Other Sacred Places

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Recently I came across a thread on social media proclaiming all cemetery shoots were disrespectful and should be prohibited. Being a.) an artist and b.) someone who likes to debate everything, I was surprised by this stance. I'm endlessly fascinated by the stories in these places, the history, and the artistry of the headstones and statues. So, personally, it had never occurred to me that photography in a cemetery would be a bad thing. But, I understand how others might object, and I do have a personal set of guidelines to follow to make sure I … [Read more...] about Do’s and Don’ts of Photographing Cemeteries and Other Sacred Places

Photographer of the Day: Rafa Velazquez

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: "Amigos en Pedraza. Segovia. Spain" by Rafa Velazquez Even if you aren't fluent in Spanish, you probably know that "amigos" means friends. In this image by Rafa Velazquez, titled "Amigos en Pedraza", we see just that. Two young friends, hanging out, having fun together. The beauty of this image is it combines something we can all relate to, with a place we may not be familiar with. Framed in the archway, the light illuminates them just enough that we understand the scene, but leaves them in just … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Rafa Velazquez

How to Transform Your Travel Tripod into a Light Stand for Flashes

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Being an outdoor/adventure/"hike all over the place" type of photographer, I love any gear that can do more than one job, without weighing a ton. When you have to backpack everything in, you learn to simplify and use as much multipurpose, lightweight gear as possible. One trick I have learned is to turn my Oben travel tripod into a light stand for flashes or continuous lights. At just a few pounds, it's light enough to hike with, and serves double duty as either a camera or flash support. This versatility means it gets a place in my pack, … [Read more...] about How to Transform Your Travel Tripod into a Light Stand for Flashes

How to Finish Your Wild Animal Photos With Tone Mapping

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Funny thing about animals is they move around, a lot. So a technique like HDR, which requires several images that are nearly identical in everything but exposure values, is usually not an option for wildlife photographers. Often thought of as mainly a tool for landscape and architecture photography, High Dynamic Range photography captures a series of shots at multiple exposures to provide detail in both highlights and shadows which a camera cannot capture in one frame. But, in the case of a running horse or flying bird, even at high shutter … [Read more...] about How to Finish Your Wild Animal Photos With Tone Mapping

Photographer of the Day: P Sterling Images

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Category: Street Photography Photograph: Friday night in the City.... by P Sterling Images The two composition concepts that I find appealing and done well in this photo are the use of selective color and motion. In P Sterling's image "Friday night in the City…" the photographer has successfully captured a still photo that presents us with a lively scene full of motion and energy. It perfectly captures the street vibe of a busy Friday night. Selective color is one of those post-processing techniques that has become almost cliché, but when … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: P Sterling Images