Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Lauri Novak

Lauri Novak is an international award-winning fine art photographer, mentor, traveler, wonderer and wanderer: inspiring and challenging you to see the world in a new and unique way. You can find her on social media at those listed under her profile pic and also at LauriNovak.com

Latest posts by Lauri Novak (see all)

Photographer of the Day: Ethan Quin

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Ethan Quin Photo: "Fallen Trees Across Little Zigzag" Beautiful spring green color, lush area and interesting light in this image. Just the right amount of motion in the water to keep it realistic. While there is a lot going on in this photo it makes me feel like I'm standing right there on a log, listening to the rush of the water and feeling the cool spring air. Nature is messy sometimes, we can't always remove twigs and branches from life. It's OK to have a lot going on in our photos once in a while, it's … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Ethan Quin

It’s car show season

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It’s car show season here in the Midwest and I’m off to my first one of the season this weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve wandered around and taken images at a car show, so I went back to look over this article and expand on it a bit. Talk to the car owners This is the number one thing to do to get more information about the car you are shooting. Get the back story, help tell that story with your images and include photos of the owner. They are proud of their cars and will talk your ear off about them. They love when you are interested … [Read more...] about It’s car show season

Photographer of the Day: Willem Lombard

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Willem Lombard Photo: "Dune" I love how you have to really look at this image to see what is sand dune and what is sky. The black fence adds such great contrast and pulls us into the image wonderfully from the corner. Great shapes, tones and composition. Thank you for sharing your image with us. Originally shared with the Photofocus 500px Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Willem Lombard

Using Aurora HDR for black and white in architectural photographs

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When we think of HDR and architecture we tend to think of real estate photography, we also tend to think of it in color. Here are a few ways you can use Skylum’s Aurora HDR to edit your architectural shots in black and white.  For this image, I decided to start with an Architecture preset in Aurora. I used the Bright Exterior Look to start. What I discovered is that I had to zero out the saturation first, then apply preset and then zero out the saturation again. If I clicked on the preset first and then moved saturation to zero it left … [Read more...] about Using Aurora HDR for black and white in architectural photographs

Photographer of the Day: Romeo Ninov

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Romeo Ninov Photo: "Fallen Shapes" The patterns made by the water in this are so interesting and the reflections add a whole other layer of shapes to them as well in this image. I love the rich, bright green and blue which balances out the black and white in the middle. It reminds me of a very cool abstract flag. A very well seen moment. Thank you for sharing your image with us. Originally shared with the Photofocus 500px Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Romeo Ninov

Photographer of the Day: Ivan Rigamonti

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Ivan Rigamonti Photo: "Sylt" I love this little guy. Whew! So tired out from cycling he just couldn’t make it any further. His red coat and green helmet really make him pop against the gray/green sky and overall muted colors of the scene. The brick inlays on either side also reflect the overall color palette of the image and lead us into the scene. I also like that the poles on either side of the beach chairs keep us within the image and make us take a look around. Thank you for sharing your image with … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Ivan Rigamonti

Photographer of the Day: Bibek Singh

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Bibek Singh Photo: "Hide and Seek" A perfect example of being patient or just good timing. Either way, it works brilliantly in this shot. Waiting for just the right person, with just the right umbrella to walk across the street in the fog has paid off here. The yellow taxis help to give us a sense of location and also showcase the weather with the reflections in the wet pavement. The pop of color adds some life to this as well. Thank you for sharing with our group. Originally shared with the Photofocus … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Bibek Singh

Why did you buy that lens?

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A recent social media post prompted me to write this. Back in March, I purchased a new lens, the Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3. Why? Well, I got a great deal on it at WPPI and my Canon 70-300mm, while still working perfectly, is 10 years old and I thought the little extra reach would be nice. Also, I rarely buy new gear so I was a bit impulsive. A moment of weakness if you will. Yesterday I went to a couple of local forest preserves just to get out for a bit. The first stop as I pulled into the parking lot I saw two Sandhill Cranes in the grass. … [Read more...] about Why did you buy that lens?

Photographer of the Day: Jeff Clouet

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Jeff Clouet Photo: "Urban Reflection" This shot makes me so happy. The building itself is amazing but to capture the colors and lines in the reflection of the windows and how it’s been composed really make this an outstanding image. Even the bit of shadow on the left adds a hint of mystery to this. Thank you for sharing with our group. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Jeff Clouet

Capturing festivals, fairs and carnivals

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Here in the midwest, it’s the beginning of festival, carnival and fair season. Attending these events with your camera can be a lot of fun. Plenty of people, bands, games, rides and food to take photos of, and a lot of different things you can experiment and try. Music/bands One of the advantages of local festivals is that the stages are usually easily accessible. You can get right up front or sometimes even a few steps up the side of the stage to get shots from the wings. I would suggest checking with crew or festival staff first before just … [Read more...] about Capturing festivals, fairs and carnivals

Photographer of the Day: Mark Marshall

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Mark Marshall Photo: "The Dawn of Spring" Oh so moody. I love how ghostly the city of Chicago appears here. It’s as if the city is trying to hide in the fog, not quite ready for spring yet, still a little sleepy from winter. The tones chosen for this edit really add to the overall feeling this evokes. I can picture this as the opening scene in a mystery or crime type film. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Mark Marshall

Photographer of the Day: Pierre Pichot

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Category: Street Photographer: Pierre Pichot Photo: "Shy" I love the mystery in this, where is he going, where has he been, what or who will greet him as he turns the corner. Is someone watching him from the windows above? So many stories to be told within this image. It really makes the imagination go crazy with scenarios. A wonderful moment captured. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Pierre Pichot

Photographer of the Day: Allan Jones Photographer

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Allan Jones Photographer Photo: "Baby Spiders" Maybe I should have warned you all first on this one. Baby spiders — eww, right? This image intrigued me, I came back to it several times as I was looking through submissions for Photographer of the Day. Why did I come back to it? At first glance, you can’t tell what it is. It’s an interesting image, the color and the softness pulled me in at first. Then I wanted to zoom in to see what that wirelike white stuff was, and then I got to the eww part. It’s something I … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Allan Jones Photographer

Accent AI 2.0 with Luminar Looks

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The recent Accent AI 2.0 release in Skylum’s Luminar 3.1.0 means an update to the Luminar Looks presets as well. I thought I’d just take you through a few images to show you the difference in the Luminar 2018 Accent AI version and the new Accent AI 2.0 version. This set of the penguin is using the Winter Collection Crisp & Clear preset. The differences are subtle but the Luminar 3 Accent AI 2.0 version is a little bit brighter and more detailed than the 2018 version. The image was taken with the Canon EOS 6D and the Tamron 100-400mm … [Read more...] about Accent AI 2.0 with Luminar Looks

How many actuations does my camera have?

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I recently bought a new camera and will be using my older version for a backup. This means I have another old, older version sitting around unused. I decided to sell it and in the process of doing so, I wanted to check to see how many actuations (shutter clicks) it has so I could pass along that information. How do I check? There are a few ways to do this. You can take it to a camera shop or if you’re within driving distance of a dealer or manufacturer repair facility you can have them check for you. I’m guessing that this isn’t always an … [Read more...] about How many actuations does my camera have?

Photographer of the Day: Renato Greco

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Renato Greco Photo: "Macaone" I love the rich, fall tones of this and how the butterfly colors pull from the background. Beautifully lit by the sun and great depth of field to make the subject pop in this. Thank you for sharing this with us, Renato. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Renato Greco

Feeling stuck?

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We all feel stuck sometimes. Stuck at work, stuck in our own thoughts, stuck trying to write a blog post and most certainly as photographers we all get stuck with what to shoot. We feel we’ve lost our creativity, our mojo, our muse has gone on vacation and we sit there at our desk wondering what to do or we sit there and force ourselves to try to do something, anything. This whole month I’ve struggled with writing, as in I have not written one article yet this month. Having just returned from a fairly epic trip I have not been out with my … [Read more...] about Feeling stuck?

Celebrating Earth Month through photography

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Since April 2019 is the 49th anniversary of Earth Month, it seemed like a good time to share some information from Adobe Stock’s 2019 Visual Trend Blog. Adobe Stock’s latest 2019 Visual Trend, Brand Stand, explores the explosive consumer demand for companies that align with their own values and how brands can seize the moment with high-impact creative that resonates. This widespread trend has made its way into stock photography as well. In the past year, Adobe Stock has seen queries for “recycling” grow by 53 percent, “sustainability” by 50 … [Read more...] about Celebrating Earth Month through photography

Photographer of the Day: Davide Gabino

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Davide Gabinol Photo: "Un piede nella natura" This image stopped me in my tracks. It grabbed my inner child and took me right back to laying in the grass in the summer. I can feel the warmth of the sun and smell the fresh summer air just by looking at this shot. It's a simple shot, but the emotion, warmth and sense of place is just pouring from it, well done. Thank you for sharing your image with us. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Davide Gabino

Photographer of the Day: Allan Jones

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Allan Jones Photographer Photo: "Pelican" What timing! Captured at just the right moment with not only the fish in the air but the wings spread and the push through the water are all spot on. I love the details in the feathers and also in the wave of water. What a great moment. Thank you Allan for sharing this wonderful image with us. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Allan Jones

Photographer of the Day: Phil Campbell

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Phil Campbell Photo: "Frosty Bur" What a fantastic 3-dimensional image. The frost just pops on this plant and the soft blue background is the perfect wintery setting. Just a beautiful image. Thank you for sharing this with us, Phil. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Phil Campbell

Sticking with old tech

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My fellow Photofocus author Michèle Grenier has been writing about her experience of deciding to switch to mirrorless. During this time my trusty old Canon 6D decided it needed a break so the LCD screen stopped working. I thought I’d offer another take on the mirrorless vs. DSLR debate. Let me preface this by saying I am not a tech head/gear hound. I do not get all excited about the newest, latest and greatest cameras and/or gear. Not to say I don’t watch and pay attention to what’s out there, but I’ve never been one to go out and upgrade gear … [Read more...] about Sticking with old tech

Photographer of the Day: Stefano Cerchiaro

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Stefano Cerchiaro Photo: "Minimal" I love the simplicity of this, the tones, the space left around the tree within the image and the contrast. A gorgeous example of using a long exposure to smooth out the water in just the right amount. Thank you Stefano for sharing your image with us. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Stefano Cerchiaro

Photographer of the Day: iLOVEnature Photography

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: iLOVEnature Photography Photo: "Winter Sunset Silhouettes Nature's Inspiration" Such beautiful details in this foxtail at sunset. It's really amazing to see the shapes within the stalk. I also love the gradation of warm to cool from corner to corner in this. A wonderful reminder to pay attention to the smaller picture, it's not always about the epic sunset. Thank you iLOVEnature Photography for sharing your image with us. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: iLOVEnature Photography

Photographer of the Day: Andre vd Meulen

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Andre vd Meulen Photo: "Line to Infinity" I love the mystery in this. Where do those trees disappear to? Some mystical land. Beautifully composed with soft tones to lead us into the image and create a sense of wonder. Thank you Andre for sharing your image with us. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Andre vd Meulen

Be prepared to be spontaneous

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Are you ready to go at any moment? Whether it’s a photoshoot or an epic trip that somehow falls in your lap, can you honestly say you’d be able to just pick up and go? Being ready can mean many things. Photoshoot If it’s a photoshoot here is a list of things that can always be ready so you’re able to be spontaneous. Charged batteries: Always make sure your batteries are charged and ready to go. Memory cards in your camera bag: If you’re like me there seems to be a memory card hanging out in my card reader on my desk many times. Get … [Read more...] about Be prepared to be spontaneous

Kickflip laptop stand offers a better angle when working on-the-go

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Recently at our Photofocus author’s retreat, this little gadget — the Kickflip laptop stand — caught the attention of my fellow authors. I thought I’d share a quick bit of information about it. A few years ago I was traveling with a friend and she had this on her laptop. After I saw hers, I had to get one of my own. It’s just a hinged strip of hard plastic that allows you to prop up the back of your laptop. It offers much better ergonomics and also allows for airflow underneath which prevents your laptop from getting warm. Features and … [Read more...] about Kickflip laptop stand offers a better angle when working on-the-go

Photographer of the Day: Hani Bader

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Category: Outdoor Photographer: Hani Bader Photo: "Underwater" The first thing that made me stop and look at this image was the color. The bright blue with the red/orange plant just pop. Secondly, the shape of the plant makes me feel and see the motion of the water moving it around and waving toward the divers. The silhouettes of the divers add just a little bit more interest and make this image something different. It would be beautiful without as well but the divers give the whole image context. Thank you Hani for sharing your image with … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Hani Bader

WPPI for non-wedding and non-portrait photographers

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Having just returned from attending the WPPI show in Las Vegas I wanted to give you a non-wedding/non-portrait photographer’s perspective on the show. While WPPI — known as the Wedding & Portrait Photographer’s Conference — is geared toward wedding and portrait photographers, there are several options for those of us who do not fit into those categories. On the show floor Wandering the show floor offers plenty of opportunities to learn about new products from software to gear that can be used in any genre of photography. Are you in the … [Read more...] about WPPI for non-wedding and non-portrait photographers

Spending time with fellow creatives

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How often do you get together with other photographers or even other artists? Spending time with those who share our passions can be helpful in several ways. Be inspired or inspire someone Everyone is at a different point on their path. Spending time with someone who is further down the path is a great way to learn about what you want to do or learn and it can also help you to figure out what you don’t want to do. Ask questions, ask for help with what you’re struggling with. Most photographers are more than willing to help. The same holds … [Read more...] about Spending time with fellow creatives