At first glance, a snowless winter city can look dull and dreary, especially with overcast skies and cold, rainy weather. But winter is actually one of the best times to take compelling photos. You just need attention and creativity to learn how to spot them among the gray streets.

There’s often movement in photos—people walking, animals jumping, things falling, water splashing. Yet motion is also one of the things that causes photographers the most trouble. In this article, I show you how to recognize and capture the moments that make viewers stop and say, “Wow, that’s it!” 

Hard and soft light are a constant topic of discussion in photography. Yet despite how often they’re talked about, there’s still a lot of confusion around them. You’ll often hear that one type of light is “right” and the other is “wrong.” In this article, we’ll look at how hard and soft light really differ and how to use each one in practice. We’ll also debunk a few common myths along the way.  

Every photo lives and dies by light. You can have the perfect lens, the perfect expression, and the perfect pose, but if the light doesn’t match your intent, the photo will never have depth or atmosphere. In this article, we don’t discuss the quantity or quality of light, but rather its direction. And in portraits, where it falls on the face.  

Taking photos in the city on a bright day? Learn how to work with hard and soft light, find the best backgrounds, and master photography even in harsh midday sun.

Fast-moving subjects mean different things to different people. Some people think of sports, others flying birds, a race car, or an airplane. But they all have one thing in common—everything takes place in a fraction of a second and the photographer has to be ready. Besides quick reflexes, the right camera settings also play a key role. Let’s take a look at what to focus on when shooting fast-moving subjects. 

Learn what lens focal length is, how zoom works, and when to use a wide-angle, portrait, or telephoto lens.

Everyone has advice for you when you start taking photos. What “looks good,” what “gets likes,” or what you “have to do” to be successful. But following the crowd isn’t always the best way forward. Sometimes it’s more important to tune out the noise and trust your own direction. Here are five reasons why ignoring advice might be the best advice you ever get.  

Do you have a camera with a basic lens (like an 18–55 mm), love taking portraits, but still can’t seem to get that beautiful blurry background you see in other portraits? Let’s be honest—a portrait with a nicely blurred background just looks more professional than one where everything is in sharp focus. Don’t worry, you don’t need to rush out and buy an expensive lens. To start with, you can work with the gear you already have.  

Every photographer eventually asks themselves what they want to say with their photography. It’s not about chasing trends or what’s popular at the moment. It’s about you—what you know, what you feel, and what you want to share. Finding your photography theme isn’t something you can figure out overnight—it’s a long process.