When I first got into photography, my camera backpack was full of prime lenses with the lowest possible f-numbers. Back then, everyone insisted that I needed fast lenses. Their reasons varied: better technical quality, faster focusing, and most importantly, beautiful bokeh or blurred backgrounds. How do I see it today? 

Distractions in your photos are among the most common mistakes beginners make. They draw the viewer’s attention away from the subject and ruin an otherwise good shot. In this article, we’ll show you how to spot distractions easily and eliminate them while shooting and editing. In the end, you’ll also see how cleaner compositions can improve your photos overall.  

May is one of the best months for traveling. With spring in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere and the arrival of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, travelers have a wide range of destinations to choose from. There’s something for everyone. The best locations for photographers are places that are interesting without being overrun by tourists. That’s why in this article, we’ll focus on lesser-known destinations or places where the tourist season hasn’t yet peaked.  

Just getting started with photography and feel like your pictures are missing something? You’re not alone. Nearly every beginner photographer makes a few common mistakes, from crooked horizons to poor composition. In this article, we’ll show you how to avoid these beginner mistakes, improve your composition and editing, and sharpen your photography technique.  

When you think of animal photography, most people imagine dogs, wildlife, exotic animals, or even deer at the forest’s edge. But what about cows, goats, or chickens? Farm animal photography, whether in the countryside or at an animal sanctuary, may not be your first choice, but portraits from these places can be surprisingly captivating.  

Add some sunshine and atmosphere to your photos. In this article, we’ll walk you through step-by-step instructions for easily creating a realistic sun effect in Zoner Photo Studio X. You

Placing text in pictures is a very common thing—book covers, calendars, photo captions, and photographer’s signatures all involve it. So there’s a wide range of uses for any tool that can do it. With Zoner Photo Studio you can add text of all kinds to pictures quickly and creatively.

Learn how to maintain sharpness when light painting. Flash is not the only way—lighting, color, and movement can be utilized in creative ways. Learn to light your models so they look natural. Also, learn how to create depth while working with multiple light sources. Finally, where does color theory come into play? In this installment, we’ll take a look at advanced techniques that will take your light painting portraits to the next level.  

We all find ourselves daydreaming in our own fantasy world from time to time. And every photographer has likely wondered how to bring those worlds to life. What are the possibilities? What’s involved in a photo or video shoot? What should you watch out for, and how should you handle post-production? Here’s some inspiration for photographers who may not have experience with this genre but want to give it a try.   

Non-destructive edits are edits that don’t destroy your original picture file. They keep you from having to take care of two separate versions of a picture—one edited, the other not. In short, they make editing work with large collections faster and easier to manage overall.