Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Melissa Niu

Melissa Niu is a storyteller at heart.Niu's work ranges from her Broadcast Journalism experience at NBC in Seattle to her recent work as a co-founder and host of the photography platform, [FRAMED] Network. Her passion for photography, music and journalistic skills harvests into a massive need to tell a good story.As a mother of three daughters and running multiple businesses, Niu is constantly seeking balance, health, laughter and progression.

Latest posts by Melissa Niu (see all)

Any occasion unique gift ideas for photographers

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I've been looking for some great, yet inexpensive gift ideas for my photography-loving friends. But buying them equipment or gear is a little over my spending allowance. So if your camera lover has a fun sense of humor or loves all things photography, I've found some fun things that are bound to make any image capturer happy without breaking your budget. Floating Hand Grip for GoPro HERO cameras Fellow Photofocus writer Doug Dalton let me borrow one of these babies when I took an adventure to the island of Tonga. Your adventure junkie … [Read more...] about Any occasion unique gift ideas for photographers

Creating Dream-like Composites with Photoshop

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Every Sunday night, we take a family adventure. Most of the photos that you see on my website are from different hikes or walks throughout the state of Utah. We take a camera, we stay in our Sunday best and go out to document a few moments together. We look at scenery, take advantage of the weather and my husband and I sometimes use it as an excuse to to get myself in a few photos to prove my existence for future generations. Plus, every now and again, my daughter will pick up the camera...which I LOVE. This time, we had something fun in … [Read more...] about Creating Dream-like Composites with Photoshop

Featured Photo by Shannon Kalahan

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Shannon Kalahan of Seeing Spots Photography. The photo - titled "Sounds of Silence" - was taken at Walnut Beach in Milford, CT at sunrise in January. This image is part of an ongoing project to showcase the beauty that Connecticut has to offer (and … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Shannon Kalahan

Featured Photo by Michael Pachis

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Michael Pachis. I was at the Memphis Zoos Northwest Passage exhibit which has a Bald Eagle aviary for Eagles that have been too badly injured to be returned to the wild. I had been there many times before but the Eagles mostly sit in their tree … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Michael Pachis

Featured Artist: Mircea Bunea

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Mircea Bunea won the December Drobo Featured photo contest and we are thrilled to introduce you to more of his creativity behind the camera. Born in 1962, and still living, in Timisoara, Romania, Mircea is a lover of all things photography and as you can see from his profile, music. He graduated in electrotechnical engineering, but never got around to practicing it. Instead, he spent his time touring as a studio musician and working with top bands and artists. After gravitating towards graphic design and computers, he soon found a profound … [Read more...] about Featured Artist: Mircea Bunea

Choose the Winner for January Featured Photo Contest

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You might have noticed that each week, we've been featuring photos from the Photofocus audience. Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! But there's more to this than just fame and glory. We also have prizes. For this month one of these photographers will win. A new Drobo 4-Bay Their portfolio featured on Photofocus.com Time to Vote You now need to help us pick. You may vote once per day (the voting system will lock you out for 24 hours after you vote) You may ask your colleagues, friends, … [Read more...] about Choose the Winner for January Featured Photo Contest

Featured Photo by Stephanie Stachowiak

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Stephanie Stachowiak. I took these photos the day before Christmas Eve in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Its a pleasure to only live 2 miles away from this amazing woods. Its a local park in my hometown. Funny it was the Eve of Christmas Eve. It looks … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Stephanie Stachowiak

Featured Photo by Susan Koppel

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Susan Koppel, a retired aerospace engineer and flight instructor, living in Reno, Nevada. Getting the Shot I am an animal keeper and photographer at the Animal Ark Wildlife sanctuary outside of Reno, Nevada (www.animalark.org). They rescue … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Susan Koppel

Featured Photo by Quinn Pratt

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Quinn Pratt. Getting the Shot In my lifetime the town has nearly quadrupled in size and has transformed from a small agriculture and mining town to a regional cultural and educational center. Many of the small farms that were prevalent in the first … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Quinn Pratt

Featured Photo by Clinton Ferrara

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Clinton Ferrara. This was taken at the mouth of the Skokomish River where it flows into the Hood Canal. The eagles flock here in spring and summer to prey on the critters left behind by the ebbing tide. It is a beautiful place to watch eagles and … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Clinton Ferrara

Choose the Winner for December Featured Photo Contest

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You might have noticed that each week, we've been featuring photos from the Photofocus audience. Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! But there's more to this than just fame and glory. We also have prizes. For this month one of these photographers will win. A new Drobo 4-Bay Their portfolio featured on Photofocus.com Time to Vote You now need to help us pick. You may vote once per day (the voting system will lock you out for 24 hours after you vote) You may ask your colleagues, friends, … [Read more...] about Choose the Winner for December Featured Photo Contest

Featured Photo by Mircea Bunea

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Mircea Bunea, a photographer based in Romania. Shooting the Photo It was taken in 2012 of his daughter and friend playing in the garden of a village, where the kids were standing right in front of a big barnhouse entrance. Gear used was his Canon 5D … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Mircea Bunea

Featured Artist: Barry Mountford

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Barry Mountford won the November Drobo Featured photo contest and we are thrilled to introduce you to more of his creativity behind the camera. Barry is a Northeast England Photographer/Artist based in Gateshead specialising in unique portraits. We appreciate his ability to create fun expression with images that push the lines of a traditional portrait. Studying Art and Photography at college gave Barry a great insight into his craft. Shooting then developing images in the darkroom gave him a buzz and he expressed that the same addictive … [Read more...] about Featured Artist: Barry Mountford

Featured Photo by James Collett

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented James Collett. Shooting the Photo The image was taken on what was forecast as the worse day of the 'Weather Bomb' that hit the UK so I decided to head out that day with the camera and see what I could get, I had a few ideas in mind and this location … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by James Collett

Giveaway! Stuff Your Stockings with Drobo

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We have teamed up with our friends at Drobo to assist in stuffing your Holiday stockings with some great storage solutions. Stock your workstation with three of our favorite Drobosthe Drobo 3rd Gen, Drobo 5D, and Drobo 5N. Each model is designed to meet the unique storage needs of your workflow with the same ease-of-use, expandability, and dependable protection that youve come to expect from Drobo. Head to this link (drobo.com/photofocus) for your chance to win a Drobo! You can also get a discount by using the code below. Drobo 3rd Gen … [Read more...] about Giveaway! Stuff Your Stockings with Drobo

Featured Photo by Jay Clapp

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Jay Clapp, a Commercial Fine Art and Fashion Photographer based in the northwest of England. Jay is also in charge of thephotographyjunkie.com. Shooting the Photo The shot was made in late October with myself Jay Clapp and model Steph Owens. It was … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Jay Clapp

Winner for November Featured Photo Contest: Barry Mountford

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You might have noticed that each week, we've been featuring photos from the Photofocus audience. Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! But there's more to this than just fame and glory. We also have prizes. For this month one of these photographers will win. A Drobo (5D, 5N, 4 Bay or Mini) A half hour private tutorial Q&A with a Photofocus team member Their portfolio featured on Photofocus.com Congratulations, Barry! Check out the story behind the image here Learn more about the other great … [Read more...] about Winner for November Featured Photo Contest: Barry Mountford

Featured Photo by Barry Mountford

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Barry Mountford. Well it was Sunday morning, we didn't have anything planned so what do we do? BLOW FAKE SNOW around our living room! Lets make a mess and have some fun! Thats how this image came about, I have wanted to photograph this type of … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Barry Mountford

Featured Photo by Murray Fox

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Murray Fox. "I arrived at my location hoping I would get the photo I had pre visualised, pre dawn colours lighting up wonderful clouds. Turns out there were no clouds and everything was blanketed in fog. I decided patience was the best virtue. I … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Murray Fox

Featured Photo by Clint Ferrara

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Thanks to our friends at or Google+ communities and feature it on Photofocus! Then each month well open voting from the community. The top vote getter will win a special prize from our partners at Drobo as well as a profile story here on Photofocus. Today's featured photo is by the talented Clint Ferrara. By following Photofocus over the years I learned to be an accomplished bird photographer. This macro was taken on a fern in my backyard. Handheld. I followed this little guy around for about an hour taking shots of his travels. When he … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Clint Ferrara

Beautiful Landscape Inspiration with Peter Zajfrid

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We came across Peter's work a while back and needless to say, his landscape photography knocked our socks off. Not only is his work simple, colorful with a hint of magic, but he captures such beautiful worlds in lands that I long to see. The most shocking part about Peter, is that he only claims to be a hobbyist. Peter is a 40-year-old "amateur" photographer from a small town called Ruse in Slovenia. Peter is a full time electrician on the field and because of this, he seems to be in the right place at the right time. Take a look for … [Read more...] about Beautiful Landscape Inspiration with Peter Zajfrid

Featured Photo by Mouhamad Bzou

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Today's featured photo is by Mouhamad Bzou. "I have visited Montpellier city in France two times before I took this photo, So I had a vision in my mind for composition and the intention to showcase the Tram light trails. Location : Place de la comdie, Montpellier , France Gear used: Fujifilm X-E1, with Fujinon 18-55, Gorilla pod portable tripod, "I shot it with my new Fujifilm X-E1. It was my first trip with my new camera and it turned out that I took that I forgot to change to RAW but it turned out that JPEGs from the camera are … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Mouhamad Bzou

HOT GEAR: Metabones Canon EF Lens to Micro Four Thirds Speed Boost Adapter

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On a recent podcast, our man, Chase Reynolds, from LensRenstals.com hooks us up with popular items that have been rented on a regular basis. And one of them being the Metabones Canon EF to Micro 4/3 Speed Booster Adapter. Take a listen. Their conversation starts around 27:30. Get the show here or get it on iTunes Don't forget to post a review on iTunes. Chase and his team often get gear stocked before many retailers do. And because of this, they are able to test out much of the new gear on the market. Metabones connectors allow you … [Read more...] about HOT GEAR: Metabones Canon EF Lens to Micro Four Thirds Speed Boost Adapter

Featured Photo by Barry Rosier

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Today's photo is by Barry Rosier. "As for the photo I visit Sanibel Island every December and I spend a lot of time at the beach where this photo was taken (Turner Beach, Captiva Island, FL). This particular day there was a school of ladyfish running and the pelicans were thick and heavy in the air, getting plenty to eat. I kept shooting all day trying to get some good solo shoots. This was one of them. I am still looking to get that perfect shot of a pelican diving in for his dinner. This was taken with a Canon Digital Rebel and a … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Barry Rosier

NEWS: LensRentals.com Changes the Rental Market with a “Rent it then Keep It” Program

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We've seen some pretty cool new companies and products throughout the history of the industry. With a record number of photographers and constant technological advancements of new equipment, rental companies have boomed with the curiosity of growing photographers. And personally, I'm grateful for the services these rental companies provide the industry in allowing artists to keep their pocket book in check with the ability to "rent" rather than buy. But now the Tennessee based rental company, LensRentals, has added a new "Keeper" rental … [Read more...] about NEWS: LensRentals.com Changes the Rental Market with a “Rent it then Keep It” Program

“Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.” ― Edward Steichen

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"Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man." ? Edward Steichen … [Read more...] about “Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.” ― Edward Steichen

Featured Photo by Stepen Vosloo

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Today's photo is by Stephen Vosloo. "This image was created at the end of a much larger shoot for a book cover that I was working on. We had 10 minutes before the Model had to leave and I asked her if I could take her portrait. The styling and her look was just too perfect to pass up. I placed her in front of a white seamless background and used a large 6ft parabolic umbrella as the key light. Up high pointing down to her at about 45 degrees. The silver parabolic reflector did a great job at high lighting the beautiful texture in her skin. … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Stepen Vosloo

“I just think it’s important to be direct and honest with people about why you’re photographing them and what you’re doing. After all, you are taking some of their soul.” ― Mary Ellen Mark

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"I just think it's important to be direct and honest with people about why you're photographing them and what you're doing. After all, you are taking some of their soul." ? Mary Ellen Mark … [Read more...] about “I just think it’s important to be direct and honest with people about why you’re photographing them and what you’re doing. After all, you are taking some of their soul.” ― Mary Ellen Mark

“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.” ― Duane Michals

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"Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be." ? Duane Michals … [Read more...] about “Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.” ― Duane Michals

Featured Photo by Joachim Radtke

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Today's photo is by Joachim Radtke. It shows the "Oberbaumbrcke" in Berlin wich is crossed by a subway. . "I did it with my Canon EOS 70d and the Canon EF 90-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 lens. I focused and zoomed in the middle of the bridge. As the train came I zoomed out and "click". It is important to push the button while rotating. Otherwise, it is too late. To see more of Joachim's work, see his portfolio here. If you would like your photo featured, read this article. Were excited to feature your work to the Photofocus audience! … [Read more...] about Featured Photo by Joachim Radtke