“A flat photo is a great photo!” said no photographer ever. Whether you paint, draw, or take photos, you’ve probably tried to add depth and dimension to your art, especially if you’re a landscape photographer. There are a number of techniques you can use to add depth to an image. Photo blogs and books are…
In October of 2020, I was a guest on Jason Teale’s entertaining and informative new podcast about photography in Korea, The Sajin. We had a blast talking all things image making in Korea. The Sajin: Episode 7 – Pete DeMarco Here are a few of Jason’s questions I answered: What brought me to Asia? Did…
Reading books about creativity are a great way to improve your photography. Here are my favorites.
None of us know what will happen. Don’t spend time worrying about it. Make the most beautiful thing you can. Try to do that every day. That’s it. – Laurie Anderson These days I haven’t been very motivated to pick up my camera. The news is filled with more fear, hate, and confusion than ever….
Taking night photos of cityscapes and architecture doesn’t have to be difficult. Just follow these practical tips.
Depth of Field (DoF) is an extremely important concept every photographer should know. Whether you want to blur the background in your photos or have everything in focus, it’s one of the keys to creating stunning images, and is often misunderstood by both beginner and more advanced photographers alike. The Myth of F/8 If you’ve…
“Maybe we will die. The river keeps us alive.” A Kwegu tribesman from Ehiopia’s Lower Omo Valley asks disconcertingly, “If the fish are gone, what will we feed the children?” To say the heritage and livelihood of one Africa’s richest cultures is under threat is not an exaggeration. It’s a stark reality. A friend of…
Expert photography guide, Etienne Bossot, shares his insider tips to photographing one of South East Asia’s most enchanting photo destinations.
Photography goals are useless. You can’t force creativity. It’s only possible to create great work when your muse inspires you! At least that’s what I used to think. The truth is, action leads to inspiration, not the other way around. The Ultimate List of Photography Goals How To Set SMART Goals Overcoming Resistance Beyond Goals:…
Author Julia Cameron once said, “Serious art is born from serious play.” The photographs I’m most proud have always been the ones I took during peak experiences. So at the start of 2018 I decided my mantra for the year would be to play more. I gave myself permission to do more of the things…
What would you do if money were no object? If you answered travel and take photos, then you’re not alone. It’s my dream too. In 2016 I quit my day job to escape the 9 to 5 and pursue my passion. I’ve been self-employed since then. My path has not been a typical one though….
“My photos are boring.” Whenever I lead a photography workshop or tour, there’s always at least one frustrated photographer who laments about not being able to capture what they see. If you feel the same, you’re probably not asking yourself the right questions. To simply snap a shot because something looks nice is not enough….
Whenever I see a giveaways advertised I always wonder if anyone really won. Here is the list of winners of our Sony a6000 Camera Giveaway. Sony a6000 Camera – Priscilla Munoz (Florida, USA) 1-Year Adobe CC Membership (Photoshop + Lightroom) – Debbie Hicks (Canada) One-to-One Coaching Session – Jennifer Vautrin, Brian Neu, John Mylett, Mel Shaw…
Do you want to tell a deeper story in your photos? As someone who shoots primarily landscapes, I sometimes get this voice in my head that my landscape feels empty. The answer could be to create an environmental portrait. That’s exactly what I did when photographing the Kuala Lumpur skyline against the old wooden houses…
Do you want a new camera? Enter our giveaway now (ends 3/31/2018) for a chance to win a brand new Sony a6000 digital camera with lens. There are a bunch of other prizes too. You can win a 1-year subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan (includes Photoshop & Lightroom), 1-to-1 photo coaching, or a…
Are you creating a slide show video with your photos and wanting some great music to go with it? You’ll want to make sure you’re not breaking any copyright by using songs illegally. Make sure you’re not doing anything illegal and use royalty free music. Using music you don’t have permission to use could get…
Being a photographer, I sometimes get jealous of video. It’s not that I don’t love photography. The still image is one of the most powerful forms of art and communication. Video though has the potential to connect on a much deeper level. Not only does video allow you to “move” your pictures, you have the…
If you’re looking for an amazing iPhone video editing app, look no further than Splice by GoPro. At first I was put off from downloading this app because it’s made by GoPro. It’s not that I don’t like the company, I just don’t own a GoPro (at least not yet), and I don’t think of…
“I’m doing everything to get noticed, but it’s not working,” said photographer Jason Teale to creative guru Chase Jarvis. Then Jarvis gave Jason a brutally honest schooling on the reality of making it as a creative in the world today. In short, his advice was similar to what we’ve all heard before. Work hard. Be…
One of the most common questions I get is about how to edit/process photos, especially in Adobe Lightroom. While some photographers try to get their image exactly how they want it right out of camera, a photo isn’t finished until it gets some digital darkroom magic. Here is my answer to a question I got…
Is finding your voice or vision really that important? Photographers talk about it like some mystical elusive thing. Find it and the doors to success will fly wide open. And those who don’t risk being a forgotten follower. To add to the pressure, other photographers seem to have found their message with ease: Platon –…
Sometimes the hardest thing about photography is finding time to do it. After I bought my first DSLR camera, a Nikon D40, I used it almost every day. But as time went by, I took it out less and less. It even started to collect dust on my shelf. It wasn’t just that the initial…
If you’re looking for a simple, fun, and inspiring photo project, do what the Australian Aborigines did: walk the earth (with your camera). In the past, they went on a roaming journey of up to six months. It wasn’t just about walking though, it was considered a spiritual rite of passage into manhood. A photo…
I’ll never forget the first time I tried to photograph fireworks. I was in Busan, South Korea, at their annual fireworks show. I had the perfect spot, a brand new DSLR, and a decent knowledge of photography. When I got home and looked at my images, they were either flat, blurry, boring, or all of…
Is there more to photograph in Thailand than buttery bucolic beaches? Absolutely. After spending two weeks on a roaming photo tour of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and the Similan Islands, I’m convinced that The Land of Smiles has plenty more to offer than postcard images of tropical islands. Here’s a short photo guide to one of…
Getting discovered is easy! That’s what it looks like if you’re photographer Benjamin Von Wong. He’s a marketing master who’s figured out the formula – the secret to creating shareable meaningful work. His photos are everywhere, from the front page of Reddit to major media outlets and photography magazines or blogs, not to mention the…
Light painting is an excellent way to get creative with night photography. Although there are many techniques, the process is simple. Just set your camera up for a long exposure. Then draw with light. Some more popular light painting techniques include using a flashlight, sparkler, steel wool, LED lights, or even the lit face of…
“The poor foreigner,’ he said, ‘has been acquainted with our grasslands but for four short days.’ ‘We must pity him,’ said the old man with feeling. ‘How hard it must be,’ commented the woman, ‘not to be born a Mongolian.’ ‘To be sure,’ said the old man, ‘the fellow is most unfortunate. But how blessed…
One of the biggest problems photographers encounter, or any creative for that matter, is how to fund their personal projects. If you’re lucky enough, an editor will send you out on that dream assignment or a client will hire you for an epic job. Often though, the projects you are most passionate about are not…
In the basement of my parent’s house, buried deep beneath some old tools, a bulky laptop running Windows 95′, my mother’s childhood dolls, plastic tubs of multi-colored legos, and piles of books, was a wooden box full of Kodachrome slides. At times I would go through that box, hold the slides up to the light,…