(Editor's note: For more information see Bryan Esler's post on this consolidation in the photo-sharing website industry.) Big news just crossed our desk. The popular photo sharing site Flickr has been bought by SmugMug. Previously Flickr was owned by Yahoo. Below are some details about the changes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4B_qlaN8C4 Why did SmugMug buy Flickr? An opportunity to join together two communities and businesses that share the same values was one we couldn’t pass up. Is SmugMug simply acquiring … [Read more...] about Flickr is Bought by SmugMug
Latest posts by Photofocus Team (see all)
- Flickr is Bought by SmugMug - April 20, 2018
- Inspiration Can Strike Anywhere (Or How I Made the Most Viewed Photos of My Career) - April 12, 2018
- Skylum Software Offers Free Hands-On Shooting Lab at Shutterfest - March 22, 2018
Inspiration Can Strike Anywhere (Or How I Made the Most Viewed Photos of My Career)
Editor's Note: This is a Guest Post by pet photographer, Darcy Evans. See more of his photography here. As a working professional photographer, one thing I can say for sure is that photoshoots rarely go exactly as planned. If something can go wrong, it likely will. The focus of my photography business is pets, so you can guess that when live animals are involved, this is even more true. I find that it is super important to remain adaptable during shoots and to always keep an open mind to new ideas. Bring the Outdoors In Recently I was … [Read more...] about Inspiration Can Strike Anywhere (Or How I Made the Most Viewed Photos of My Career)
Skylum Software Offers Free Hands-On Shooting Lab at Shutterfest
Are you headed to Shutterfest? A bunch of folks from the Photofocus team will be there including Vanelli, Jason Hahn, Levi Sim, and Rich Harrington. SHOOT. LEARN. PARTY. ST. LOUIS, MO. | APRIL 3-4, 2018 Our site partners, Skylum software makers of Luminar will also be there with a cool hands-on photo shoot. Join Vanelli, Abba Shapiro, and Levi Sim for a fun class (absolutely free). Location Shutterfest Midway Suite #2 Hours of Operation Day 1 | 10am–6pm Day 2 | 10am–6pm Description Join Skylum Software, … [Read more...] about Skylum Software Offers Free Hands-On Shooting Lab at Shutterfest
Creating LUTs in Photoshop
LUTs are Look Up Tables. They are really easy to create in Photoshop for use in other programs like Premiere Pro for motion and Luminar 2018 for still photographs. This video from Rich Harrington shows you how. Building a LUT in Photoshop from Premiere Pro Guru: LUTs and Look Files by Richard Harrington Photo: Adobe Stock … [Read more...] about Creating LUTs in Photoshop
Skylum at WPPI with Luminar and Aurora 2018
Macphun has changed its name. Welcome, Skylum! The same great products, both stand-alone and plugins formerly only for Mac are now for Windows, too. If you are coming to WPPI be sure to visit the Skylum booth in the Expo to meet Photofocus authors like Levi Sim, Vanelli, publisher Rich Harrington and more. They will be doing live demos of Aurora 2018 HDR and Skylum's new stand-alone answer to Lightroom CC Classic Luminar. Luminar has features previously found only in Photoshop. Free passes to WPPI expo If you are coming to Las Vegas for WPPI … [Read more...] about Skylum at WPPI with Luminar and Aurora 2018
Creativity in Motion
(Editor's note: This guest post is from Adobe Stock Video expert Dennis Radeke. The photograph above was created with Adobe Stock.) Last year, we launched a brand new content type on Adobe Stock: Motion Graphics templates. These templates, made in After Effects, are easily accessed in Adobe Premiere Pro to create animated transitions, titles, and lower thirds, enabling video creators to add a polished, finishing touch to their video projects. https://youtu.be/P2vlCeW8RoI We’ve sourced our collection from the world’s leading motion … [Read more...] about Creativity in Motion
Join The Photofocus Staff For Breakfast At WPPI!
Are you planning to come to this year’s Photoshop World? Come join our team for breakfast, Tuesday, February 27, 2018, at 7:30 am! For the past few years, we have hosted a special Las Vegas breakfast for our readers. We reserve a private section at Mandalay Bay's Bayside Buffet where our readers have the chance to socialize and get to know some of our staff. This is a perfect opportunity to give authors (and our publisher) suggestions for articles and tutorials you would like them to write! It's also a great chance to hang out with a bunch … [Read more...] about Join The Photofocus Staff For Breakfast At WPPI!
What Are The Most Popular Used Cameras and Lenses?
Our friends at MPB.com keep track of which cameras and lenses are the most purchased over the course of the year. This is pretty interesting to see. Perhaps you've got one or more of these collecting dust in your closet. If so, it's a good time to call MPB and see about trading them in. By buying and selling or trading different gear, you can experience a variety of equipment and refine your kit to what works best for you. I've owned over 30 changeable lens cameras in the last several years, and I don't know how many lenses, from multiple … [Read more...] about What Are The Most Popular Used Cameras and Lenses?
Want a Free Pass to WPPI?
Photofocus partners, Skylum software, have free passes to WPPI in Las Vegas. In fact, Photofocus writers Richard Harrington, Robert Vanelli, and Levi Sim will be speaking at their booth. Get a Free Pass This is 3-day expo for Wedding and Portrait Photographers is one of the biggest events of the year in Las Vegas. We hope to see you will at WPPI in Las Vegas, Feb. 26 - 28, 2018. Expo Hours Monday, Feb. 26, 10am-4pm Tuesday, Feb. 27, 10am-4pm Wednesday, Feb. 28 10am-3pm For free Expo Passes and discounts on Photo Walks, Plus … [Read more...] about Want a Free Pass to WPPI?
Do You Revisit Old Locations?
(Editor's Note: This is a guest post from our partner mpb.com a great place to use your old gear to acquire newer gear.) For many, the thought of revisiting an old location may seem like a step back rather than the potential for a step forward in terms of honing your skills. However, as you grow as a photographer and as your personal perceptions change, a location can develop a new meaning or open new opportunities. Locations don’t wait for you to photograph them, nor do they give you a heads up when conditions are ideal for you to realize … [Read more...] about Do You Revisit Old Locations?
Free Classes at WPPI
Coming to WPPI? Be sure to stop by the Skylum booth to learn about Luminar. You can learn from Photofocus authors Rich Harrington, Vanelli, and Levi Sim, as well as other top industry experts. Free Sessions All Day at Booth #462 We are very excited to share some of your favorite wedding and portrait photographers that will be speaking at our Skylum booth (#462) during WPPI's 3-day Expo. Plus, many of the speakers will be doing portfolio reviews! Jerry Ghionis Jerry Ghionis - How to Find Inspiration Speaking: Monday, Feb. 26 … [Read more...] about Free Classes at WPPI
How to Create a Logo with Adobe Stock
(Editor's Note: This post has been pulled from Photofocus to be certain the information it contains is accurate for our readership. Here's a link to the updated article.) … [Read more...] about How to Create a Logo with Adobe Stock
Gear Review: NiSi Medium GND 100x150mm Filter
Editor's note: This is a guest Post by Ugo Cei. See his work right here. In recent times I haven’t been making much use of filters in my photography. I would occasionally use a polarizer and that’s all. As a consequence, when faced with landscape scenes with a lot of contrast, like when the sky is bright, but the ground is in shade, I would normally resort to bracketing and then merging the resulting shots to HDR or doing some kind of blending. Graduated Neutral Density (GND) Filters When creating HDR photos, I always strive to produce … [Read more...] about Gear Review: NiSi Medium GND 100x150mm Filter
How to Choose & Use Reflectors
(Editor's note: Photographer and author Andrew Darlow returns with this guest post where he shares tips, techniques and gear suggestions for photo reflectors and accessories. In a 2011 Photofocus post, Andrew showed a collection of do-it-yourself unconventional reflector/fill card options, a topic that never goes out of style!) Photo reflectors can have a dramatic effect on your images and videos. They are generally very inexpensive. Choosing and using them effectively can be confusing, so I’ve organized this article by reflector type, with … [Read more...] about How to Choose & Use Reflectors
Canon 5D: 12 Years & 5 Cameras
(Editor's note: This is a guest post from our friends at MPB.com a great place for photographers and videographers to buy quality used gear as well as to see thier old equipment.) Canon's 5D series Canon's 5D series of cameras has been revolutionary its inception. The original 5D was the one of the first full-frame digital cameras--one of the first to have a sensor the same size as 35mm film--and it was a relatively affordable price. Each iteration on from the Mark I, with the exception of maybe the Mark IV, there has been some aspect of the … [Read more...] about Canon 5D: 12 Years & 5 Cameras
Looking For Light from MPB.com
(Editor's Note: This is a guest post from our friends at MPB.com. MPB is a great place to sell gear that's no longer in use as well as where to buy quality used photo and video equipment at much lower cost than that of new.) Photography is completely centered around light: it not affects your photo's mood, but it also dictates what your settings must be in the camera to record a picture and represent that mood in the picture. Let's talk about how shutter speed, aperture, and ISO setting affect your image, and then we'll dive into the … [Read more...] about Looking For Light from MPB.com
Turning a Boring Shoot Into an Inspired Photo Session
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Cathy Seaver, a commercial photographer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She works primarily for Cull Group shooting product, corporate headshots, and other client needs. In her off time, Cathy enjoys getting out into nature to shoot what she sees around her. She is also an avid horseback rider, enjoying her time in the saddle on trails and playing around with a bit of dressage. Check out her work on Instagram. Shooting commercially, a photographer doesn’t necessarily get to choose what they are shooting, … [Read more...] about Turning a Boring Shoot Into an Inspired Photo Session
How To Find Work In Freelance Television
Guest Post by Jacob Swart. You want to work on a television set, but don’t know where to start. The world of freelancing is daunting and confusing. I have heard the question “How did you even get that job?” even from my film school friends. No need to worry though, it isn’t impossible. If you didn’t already know, Hollywood television shows are actually filmed in your backyard. Hundreds of crews fly around the globe with camera equipment and crash land in your neighborhood. I’ve worked on ABC, FOX, Discovery, and HGTV crews that were all … [Read more...] about How To Find Work In Freelance Television
New Year – Free Gifts
It's time for New Year's Resolutions... How about making better photos? We wanted to say thanks and send you an inbox full of free photo goodies (videos, presets, and eBooks). We appreciate you being a reader of Photofocus or a customer of one of our products. As such we wanted to offer you some useful tools for free. These classes and links will stay live through January 31, 2018. ENJOY! ▪ Free Class: Business: Pricing Your Photography by Skip Cohen ▪ Get 3 Months of Hands-On Education for Just 99¢ ▪ Free Presets for Photo Editing ▪ … [Read more...] about New Year – Free Gifts
The Ultimate Print Contest
We've got a great contest for you to enter. Your chance to win a bunch of cool prizes. One TruLife Face Mounted Acrylic Photographic Print produced by ArtisanHD, up to 32x40 inches (More than $500 value) A License for On1 Photo RAW ($99) A Year of ThinkTAP Learn ($99) Live Consultation with Levi Sim before printing Work Featured on Photofocus.com a Rafflecopter giveaway Official Rules No purchase necessary to enter or win. You must be 18 years or older to enter Contest runs from 12/29/17 to 2/28/18 You must … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Print Contest
Is Baiting Wild Birds For Photography Ethical?
Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Cathy Seaver, a commercial photographer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She works primarily for Cull Group shooting product, corporate headshots, and other client needs. In her off time, Cathy enjoys getting out into nature to shoot what she sees around her. She is also an avid horseback rider, enjoying her time in the saddle on trails and playing around with a bit of dressage. Check out her work on Instagram. In November I came across an activity I hadn’t encountered before. While I wasn’t entirely … [Read more...] about Is Baiting Wild Birds For Photography Ethical?
Skip Cohen Invites You to Make 2018 Your Best Year Yet
This is a guest post from Skip Cohen (co-host of our business podcast). Image by lassedesignen INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION Think back over the years about the workshops and seminars you've attended. How many programs have you sat through, taken lots of notes and then returned home never to implement the ideas you were so excited about? It happens to all of us. We’re sitting in a workshop, and we’re in the “zone.” We’re excited about making some changes and additions to our business, but we return home, and life gets in the way. The … [Read more...] about Skip Cohen Invites You to Make 2018 Your Best Year Yet
How to Talk to Models, Family & Friends to Make More Natural Photos
(Editor's note: This guest post by Andrew Darlow is excerpted from Focus and Filter: Professional Techniques for Mastering Digital Photography and Capturing the Perfect Shot, by Andrew Darlow, © Ulysses Press.) They say: “It’s not what you say but what you do.” Well, in portrait photography, what you say to your subject is as important as what you do with your lighting, framing and camera settings. Knowing a few simple things can help your subjects relax, and at the same time help them to express themselves so that you can capture their … [Read more...] about How to Talk to Models, Family & Friends to Make More Natural Photos
Free Holiday Gifts from Photofocus
Every few weeks we send a newsletter with free stuff in it. If you sign up, you'll get things like eBooks, presets, and video courses. This weekend we pulled out all the stops and sent out over $700 in free stuff. Because we wanted to say thanks. Get it here and be sure to signup for our email list. … [Read more...] about Free Holiday Gifts from Photofocus
Cyber Monday Deals
Thanks to our many partners and sponsors, we're able to bring you all this great free content. Please forgive this brief mention of a few great deals. Consider checking them out and supporting our site. Special savings on Calibrators from Datacolor Photofocus Exclusive Deal on Luminar 2018 + Freebies Extra Savings on Perfectly Clear (Lowest Price Ever) Platypod Free Multi-Accessory Kit Big Savings on Used Gear from MPB.com We also put out a newsletter this weekend with TONS of free stuff. Get it here and be sure to signup … [Read more...] about Cyber Monday Deals
Great Deals from Perfectly Clear
Happy cyber weekend! We hope you have some well deserved time to relax. We've got two exclusive deals on Perfectly Clear by Athentech. Enjoy this exclusive $79 offer from Photofocus! Already own an Athentech product? Get it for $49. Two New Preset Packs Beautiful Woman by Matthew Jordan Smith A collection of 22 presets that are perfect for many different kinds of women. The collection contains a wide variety of styles by photographer Matthew Jordan Smith. Unlock the beauty of every photo with these time-savings … [Read more...] about Great Deals from Perfectly Clear
Happy Thanksgiving from Photofocus
All of us here at Photofocus wish all of you, our readers and your families, the happiest of Thanksgivings “As I sit at water’s edge among the autumn leaves, I imagine that as each leaf fell to the ground a blessing was granted to a friend or to someone I have never known, and I am thankful for so many blessings that surround me." Quote and photograph by Photofocus Author Susan Kanfer … [Read more...] about Happy Thanksgiving from Photofocus
Photofocus Exclusive Super Bundle on Skylum Luminar
We've partnered with Skylum to put together a custom bundle for Photofocus readers... It combines the power of Luminar 2018 with eight great add-ons (4 of them exclusive to Photofocus). This Black Friday bundle is available starting right now. By the way, a new Windows update drops Friday by the way with more features. https://youtu.be/tPq39bpymwg You get the following: Luminar 2018 for Mac & Windows Luminar 2018 First Look Video: 30 minutes of complete training to get you up to speed fast. Inspired Style Preset Pack: A … [Read more...] about Photofocus Exclusive Super Bundle on Skylum Luminar
Free Black & White Toolkit for Luminar 2018
We've put together an extensive Black & White toolkit for Luminar 2018. This contains everything you need to create great looking Black & White photos including presets, lookup tables (LUTs), and textures. We're including this for free if you buy Luminar 2018 through Photofocus (this is one way we pay our writers for all their great content). But if you already bought, don't worry, we'll tell you how to get it. What's included: BW Toolkit Tutorial.mp4 This will show you how to use all the pieces in the Toolkit for the … [Read more...] about Free Black & White Toolkit for Luminar 2018
Wedding and Portrait Editing Survey (Plus Free eBook)
We'd like to better understand your needs when editing portraits and wedding images. We're helping to design some new presets as well as software features and we'd like to know what you want. The survey can be taken here — https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/weddingphoto All folks who take the survey get a free copy of Scott Bourne's 72 Essays on Photography eBook (worth $9.99). You'll find the link at the top of the survey right below the title. You can also enter to win a $50 B&H Gift Card. Please take 3 minutes and share your … [Read more...] about Wedding and Portrait Editing Survey (Plus Free eBook)
