It’s become a tradition for us to say goodbye to each year with a selection of the articles you loved the most. So let’s look back at the best of Learn Photography Magazine in 2019 and go back through not only your favorite articles, but also the ones that you might not have had time for, even though you wanted to. And then you can go straight ahead and look forward to the flood of photo guides and tips that we’re preparing for you in 2020. We’ll definitely be busy!

Phone/Camera Connections, the Golden Hour, and GPS. Check out the Best Apps for Photographers

Everybody today has a smartphone. And while the cameras in our phones still lag far behind real cameras, you can use a phone for a number of other things that are closely related to photography. There’s a whole sea of mobile apps for photographers, and it’s not easy to sail among them. We’ve done it for you and made a few picks. Take a look at our favorites.

Add Pizazz to Your Winter Photos: We’ll Show You How to Edit Your Photos of Snowy Landscapes

After a snowfall, you have to pay attention both on the roads and in your photography. After all, the landscape suddenly looks completely different. And so pictures get taken and edited differently too. Here we’ll be trying out one such edit and examining how to get the most out of a winter landscape.

RAW vs. JPG: The Eternal Struggle. When Is It Best to Shoot to RAW?

Cameras typically let you shoot to two different formats:  The first one is a so-called RAW raw format and the other is JPG. Which of them do you choose? In this article, we’ll touch on several different situations where one of them is more suitable than the other.

Photographing Models in Different Environments III: Studio Photography

Sick of running around with your camera outdoors? Whether you’re cold or you just want a change of environment, sometimes it’s good to head into the warmth of a cozy studio. I’ll show you why every portrait photographer should give studio photography a try. A studio’s configurable flashes will give you almost unlimited control over light, which is a big advantage over photographing outdoors. And it’s so easy to get started. In this, the final part of my miniseries, I’ll show you that even in a studio, you’ll never be bored!

Learn to Take Stunning Portraits Through Window Blinds

We all have a favorite photo style or a dream photo. And for many photographers, that’s a window-blind portrait. But there’s one little problem. Sometimes when you’re getting ready to take this kind of photo, the weather suddenly just isn’t cooperating. Got everything ready, but the sun just won’t shine the way you need? We know a way around that. Create a dark-stripes setup in your own home or studio. It’s very easy!

Closed Eyes in Group Photos? The Editor Will Help You Fix Them

Group photos are the sort of thing that can seem easy at first. You round people up into one place, you say “cheese!”, and you shoot ten pictures. But then back home on your computer, you learn that every shot has someone with their eyes closed. What do you do? You can’t retake the picture, and yet you also can’t send off a wedding picture where a third of the family is “sleeping.” Well, in Zoner Photo Studio X, you can re-open those sleepers’ eyes. We’ll show you how.

How to Use the Gradient Filter to Improve Your Photos

Gradient Filter functions are generally used for darkening or coloring the top of a photo—usually the sky. They basically replace a physical gradient filter that you’d place over your camera’s lens. But the Gradient Filter in ZPS X is also highly customizable and offers lots of creative opportunities.

How to Take Vacation Pictures: Not Like a Typical Tourist!

No matter where you’ll be heading for this year’s vacation, we’re sure you’ll be taking your camera. But you definitely don’t just want to bring back the same boring vacation snapshots as everyone else. We’ve got some useful advice and tips for you on how to immortalize your experiences in an original way.

Make It Miniature With the Tilt-shift Effect

Tilt-shift is an effect that makes the objects in a picture look like miniatures. You may know those special tilt-shift lenses for cameras, but did you know that you can create this attractive effect in Zoner Photo Studio as well? We’ve taken a closer look at this fun feature, and we’re bringing you a guide to working with it.

How Can You Get Stronger Bokeh? A Panorama Can Help!

You can get stronger background blurring in your photos by using a longer focal length, a lower f-number, or a smaller distance to your subject. But what if none of that is enough? We’ll show you a method that will help you get amazing bokeh. And you won’t even need to buy a new lens for it. You’ll just take multiple pictures and then stitch a panorama. This article will show you how.