Tilt shift lenses enable photographers to transcend the normal restrictions of depth of field and perspective. Many of the optical tricks these lenses permit could not otherwise be reproduced digitally—making them a must for certain landscape, architectural and product photography. The first part of this tutorial addresses the shift feature, and focuses on its use for in digital SLR cameras for perspective control and panoramas. The second part focuses on using tilt shift lenses to control depth of field.

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago

High dynamic range (HDR) images enable photographers to record a greater range of tonal detail than a given camera could capture in a single photo. This opens up a whole new set of lighting possibilities which one might have previously avoided—for purely technical reasons. The new "merge to HDR" feature of Photoshop CS2 allows the photographer to combine a series of bracketed exposures into a single image which encompasses the tonal detail of the entire series.

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago

Lens quality is more important now than ever, due to the ever-increasing number of megapixels found in today's digital cameras. Frequently, the resolution of your digital photos is actually limited by the camera's lens -- and not by the resolution of the camera itself. However, deciphering MTF charts and comparing the resolution of different lenses can be a science unto itself. This tutorial gives an overview of the fundamental concepts and terms used for assessing lens quality. At the very least, hopefully it will cause you to think twice about what's important when purchasing your next digital camera or lens.

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago

This article aims to address the question: how does your digital camera's sensor size influence different types of photography? Your choice of sensor size is analogous to choosing between 35 mm, medium format and large format film cameras-- with a few notable differences unique to digital technology. Much confusion often arises on this topic because there are both so many different size options, and so many trade-offs relating to depth of field, image noise, diffraction, cost and size/weight.

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago

Diffraction is an optical effect which can limit the total resolution of your photography-- no matter how many megapixels your camera may have. Ordinarily light travels in straight lines through uniform air, however it begins to disperse or "diffract" when squeezed through a small hole (such as your camera's aperture)...

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago

Using a camera flash can both broaden the scope and enhance the appearance of your photographic subjects. However, flash is also one of the most confusing and misused of all photographic tools. In fact, the best flash photo is often the one where you cannot even tell a flash was used. This tutorial aims to overcome all the technical terminology in order to focus on the real essence of flash photography: how to control your light and subsequently achieve the desired exposure.

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago

Using a camera flash can both broaden the scope and enhance the appearance of your photographic subjects. However, flash is also one of the most confusing and misused of all photographic tools. In fact, the best flash photo is often the one where you cannot even tell a flash was used. This tutorial aims to overcome all the technical terminology in order to focus on the real essence of flash photography: how to control your light and subsequently achieve the desired exposure.

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago

Knowing how to calibrate your monitor is critical for any photographer who wants accurate and predictable photographic prints. If your monitor is not correctly reproducing shades and colors, then all the time spent on image editing and post-processing could actually be counter-productive. This tutorial covers basic calibration for the casual photographer, in addition to using calibration and profiling devices for high-precision results. Furthermore, it assumes that tossing your old monitor and buying a new one is not an option.

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago

Color space conversion is what happens when the color management module (CMM) translates color from one device's space to another. Conversion may require approximations in order to preserve the image's most important color qualities. Knowing how these approximations work can help you control how the photo may change-- hopefully maintaining the intended look or mood.

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago

A color space relates numbers to actual colors, and is a three-dimensional object which contains all realizable color combinations. When trying to reproduce color on another device, color spaces can show whether you will be able to retain shadow/highlight detail, color saturation, and by how much either will be compromised.

submitted: 5 years and 3714 days ago