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.

The right amount of sharpness is crucial to all photography. Not every photo can be pin sharp, and sometimes it’s best to get rid of an outright blurry photo. Sharpness can be affected by factors such as lens parameters. As long as the image isn’t completely blurry, it can be sharpened with editing in post-production. This is a skill that will always be useful.

Portraits are one of the most common genres. What photographer hasn’t taken pictures of friends, family, or themselves while traveling or at a party? But to take your photos to the next level, it’s important to understand how to find and work with the perfect lighting. In this article, I focus on working with light outdoors, look at specific real-world situations, and share my tips for getting the best possible light from the scene.  

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.  

Almost every photographer has tried light painting at some point. Long exposures, running around with a flashlight or string of lights is great fun, but we usually don’t expect much from the resulting photos. They’re just light trails. But with some patience and creativity, this technique can be used to create stunning works of art, including light-painted portraits.  

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.   

If you enjoy taking trips with friends, they probably know you’re into photography. They expect your photos to be better than their phone snapshots, even if you’re using your phone too. After all, you’re the photographer of the group. So, what can you do differently?

A lot has been written about the differences between Full-Frame (FF) and crop (DX, APS-C) sensors. The difference in features and functions can get complicated. In this article, I’ll explain these features using practical examples and take a look at the advantages of each system, and where they fall short.

Good portrait, fashion, or glamor photography doesn’t have to be strange or shocking to catch the eye. A nude model fixing a tractor, a half-naked woman holding an old medium format camera, or a secretary on the phone with a plunging neckline and glasses. These are some cliché combinations often found in amateur portrait photography. How can you avoid them?

With the AI features in Zoner Photo Studio X, you can edit your portraits in no time. Simplify your workflow by using presets. There are several presets available in ZPS X. Read to learn how AI presets work and how to use them.