Photography Basics

The Photography basics category of our site will give you a foundation for your photography education.  While many of these are considered beginner or 101 tips and tutorials, they are essential to your understanding of photography.

8 Maternity Photography Tips and Ideas (Updated)

Christopher

Here are a few tips to help you get through your first maternity session.

How To Photograph Fireworks | Tutorials and Tips (Updated)

Joe Marshall

Whether you've never tried photographing fireworks or you're a seasoned pro, you'll find interesting, inspiring, and useful information in this roundup!

balance in photography

Understanding Balance in Photography

Christopher

Balance is a compositional technique in photography that juxtaposes images within a frame so that the objects are of equal visual weight. When different parts of a photo command your attention equally, perfect balance is achieved. In photography, there are two main techniques of balance you should be aware of: formal and informal. We’ll discuss the difference between each and how they can affect your photo.

how to take sharp photos

How to Take Sharp Photos in 12 Tips

Pye

In this article, I'm going to look at what contributes to a photo's sharpness, and what you can do to maximize the sharpness of your images.

Best Smoke Bombs for Photography & Tips on How to Use Them

Pye

We found the best smoke bomb for photography and wanted to offer 5 tips on how to use them safely and creatively.

10 Characteristics of a Good Photo

Christopher

While studying our art over the last decade, we compiled a list of ten characteristics most often found in the best photos. Here they are.

WPPI 2020 pye jirsa

6 Techniques to Create Great Images Anywhere

Pye

We're going to show you 6 techniques for creating better images, regardless of the camera you're using or the scene in which you're working.

raw vs jpg example unedited

RAW vs JPEG | The Ultimate Visual Guide (Updated)

Pye

Gain a full understanding of RAW vs JPEG with this ultimate visual guide. This article is designed to teach you the differences between RAW and JPEG (JPG) from a pragmatic real world point of view. Thus, we will be using a lot of actual image examples to help show the exact concrete differences.

ISO, Aperture & Shutter Speed | A Cheat Sheet For Beginners

Pye

One of the first things you must learn as a new photographer is the relationship between ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Here's a little cheat-sheet to help you remember.

Must-Have Apps and Websites For Nightscape and Milky Way Photography

Matthew Saville

So, Milky Way photo season is upon us, and you'd love to go out and shoot, but where do you start?

Real Estate Photography Lighting Guide

Matthew Saville

In this tutorial, we’ll teach you how to work quickly and effectively with flash to get beautiful real estate photos...

sharp images wide open aperture feature

5 Tips on Shooting Sharp Images with a Wide-Open Aperture

Pye

How do we get tack-sharp images, especially when it comes to groups, when we're shooting with a wide-open aperture? Here's how in 5 tips (plus 3 bonus tips)!