Have you ever had thoughts of selling your photos to a photobank? Do you ever sit and think about what’s important for these sales? Then this article is for you. We’ve summarized the most important things to have in mind before setting off to become a “photobanker.”

Advertising is likely the photographic field with the highest cashflow. Photobanks sell millions of photos of countless types each day. But in this article we won’t be discussing how to shoot for photobanks. Instead we’ll focus on the basics of composing commercial photos.

If you depend on your camera’s automatic settings or you rely on the inbuilt meter when you’re in manual mode, then don’t worry—you’re probably getting correct exposure every time. However, you’re often robbing yourself of unexpected, interesting photos that you could get with creative use of exposure. Don’t be afraid to leave the safe zone of average exposure and try getting creative with your pictures!

Do you know what kinds of drives are used to auto-focus lenses? Where are manufacturers boasting and what are they hiding? What can you expect from these drives and how should you care for them? That’s what today’s article is all about.

Inspiration for photos can come from anywhere—even from a video. In today’s article, we’ll be following the story of a photo inspired by a Pink Floyd video: the birth of its idea, the shoot preparation, the shoot itself, and the post-editing. If you like the picture’s final style, then try to recreate it! All you’ll need is a camera and a lens, plus Zoner Photo Studio for the post-editing.

A camera’s built-in light meter measures the level of incident light and adjusts aperture, shutter speed, and ISO based on that. Your exposure mode setting determines how your camera will work with the light levels that it measures. Depending on the mode, the camera will either adjustments fully automatically, or leave you a certain amount of control over a photo’s final tonality. Meanwhile in manual mode, the meter has no effect on the exposure settings at all. What exposure modes do DSLRs offer and how are they useful? We’ll be answering these questions in today’s article.

You’ve probably heard of gray cards in connection with white balancing. But there’s also another use that, while it may sound strange, is perfectly sensible: getting a firm grip on exposure.

Camera-shopping lately? You can avoid nasty surprises and grow as a photographer by knowing how camera focusing systems work. There are several different systems with different advantages and disadvantages. Learn them and keep them in mind, and you’ll take clearer pictures—and maybe save money too!

The summer months bring heat, with heat the sun, and with the sun, sharp light. For a photographer, harsh and direct light is among the most unpleasant light there is.

You see photos everywhere. Browse the web: you see photos. Open a newspaper: you see photos. Drive to work: you see billboards with smiling models… in photos. And that’s just the situation for normal people. It’s even worse for us photographers, who live and die for photos. So how can you pick good photos out of the flood of them you see each day?