How to Use HDR for Nighttime Photography

Making pictures at nighttime can be challenging. Parts of a picture that are lit with street lamps or other lights are very bright compared to the darkness of the sky or the shadows under trees and porches. This scene is described as having a high dynamic range—the difference between light and shadow is very great. […]

10 Tips for New Drone Flyers

Drones are really a lot of fun once you safely learn to fly them. Here are a few important tips to help you get up and flying. I didn’t list them in any particular order, so be sure to read through all of them before you get started.

Why Your Camera is Like a Faucet

Seems like an odd title to an article, right? Well, it’s true! If you’ve ever thought about making the switch to exposing fully manually, but struggled to get apertures and shutter speeds to do what you want them to do, all you  need to do is to remember that your camera is just like a […]

Lens Distortion in Portraits

As a portrait photographer, I love getting a close, tight shot that really captures the personality of my subject. Understanding the limitations and effects your gear has on the final image is vital. Close up portraits are typically shot using a focal length of 85mm or longer, but when starting out, these lenses may not be an […]

Shooting Personal Projects

A great way to challenge yourself and enhance your skills is to shoot some personal projects. Here is an opportunity to stretch your imagination. Building sets, buying props, coordinating wardrobe, scouting locations and casting talent are all part of the process of shooting your personal projects. When you apply all these things, your ideas will […]

Beat the Bracket Racket – Shooting HDR Base Images the Right Way

Photographers have struggled with limited dynamic range for as long as there have been photographers. Expose for the highlights in most scenes, and you will end up with crushed shadows where no details can be extracted from the inky blackness. Conversely, if you expose for the shadows, the highlights will blow out, leaving nothing but […]

Photofocus Podcast December 25, 2015 — Chris Hershman and Bryan O’Neil Hughes

This week we catch up with a photographer and a Lightroom expert.  First Pamela Berry talks with photographer and music video producer Chris Horseman.  Then Robert Vanelli talks with Bryan O’Neil Highes from Adobe about his photography, Lightroom, and Lightroom Mobile. Get the show here  or get it on iTunes — Don’t forget to post a review on iTunes. Chris […]

2015 Holiday Gift Guide

A lot of us are just coming out of the fog of Christmas photography rush orders and holiday shipping deadlines for photo products. We finally have time to breathe, and browse, and shop! I’ve put together a list of gifts that I’d personally recommend that hopefully, a little bit different than other lists you’ve seen. […]

Like It Or Not, All Drones Must Be Registered

Today, the FAA formally announced plans for the registration of small unmanned aircraft (UAS), better known as “drones”. The new laws apply to any UAS weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms) including payloads such as on-board cameras. Effective December 21st, all owners of qualifying drones are […]

Creating Dream-like Composites with Photoshop

Every Sunday night, we take a family adventure.  Most of the photos that you see on my website are from different hikes or walks throughout the state of Utah.  We take a camera, we stay in our Sunday best and go out to document a few moments together.  We look at scenery, take advantage of […]