Links
I'm a fairly avid web surfer. Here are a list of photographically-related links that I either use a lot, or have a lot of respect for...
Lighting Techniques
- Dave Black
- Dave Black is one of those photographers who seems to be able to turn up just about anywhere and produce great images. He knows how to look, rather than just see. Add to that a big dose of creativity and a healthy technical know-how and... well, the images speak for themselves. Even better, he's nice enough to tell us how each photo was accomplished. This site is really worth visiting.
- Planet Neil
- Neil van Niekerk offers us his advice in a number article. The flash article is really very good, a perfect complement to the advice offered by Neil Turner.
- Neil Turner's techniques
- Neil Turner offers us some fascinating insights into his thoughts and techniques by describing in detail the thought processes behind many of his inspiring photo assignments. An excellent read from a very generous photographer.
- John Lehmann
- John Lehmann shares his tips and techniques for achieving creative flash work using a compact and lightweight set of equipment.
- Strobist
- David hobby provides us with a wealth of information on his use of off-camera flash. Start with his Lighting 101 series and then work through his On Assignment essays. Although David is a Nikon Shooter, his use of flash in manual mode means that this site is a useful resource to all flash photographers.
- Michael Ray's blog
- Talented food photographer Michael Ray lets us in on his tips and tricks. Mouth-watering photography with technical explanations, a real feast!
Photographers
To find the best from ourselves, we need inspiration from others. Here are some photographers whos work have inspired me or otherwise provoked that emotional response that I so desire from my own photography.
- Daniel Bayer
- To my mind, one of the most creative photojournalists of his time. David's skills seem to know no bounds.
- Andrzej Dragan
- Dragan's portrait work, over Photoshopped to some, is sublime for others, including myself. A master in his field, everything is right, from the concept, pose and lighting through to the postprocessing.
- Jarek Kubicki
- Kubicki's work is among the most beautiful nude photography that I've seen.
- James Nachtwey
-
“I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony. The events I have recorded should not be forgotten and must not be repeated.”
A stunning portfolio of the scenes witnessed and explored by James Nachtwey. His vision under exceptionally difficult circumstances is inspirational.
- Matthieu Paley
- A excellent portfolio of travel photography.
- David Boag
- A refreshing collection of nature photographs.
- Johannes Felten
- Johannes Felten shows us his unique personal vision of underwater photography. His wreck and shark photos are incredible.
Post Processing, Colour Management, etc.
- Ron Bigelow's articles
- Ron Bigelow has written an excellent series of very detailed articles aimed at the fine art photographer. Ron discusses all manor of topics of interest, from photographic composition to advanced post processing techniques.
Technical
- The Pumpkin
“A library of selected writings of Douglas A. Kerr, P.E.”
I can't believe that it took me so long to discover this series of articles. Kerr demonstrates an incredible level of technical knowledge while clearly and ably presenting his notions to a more average audience. A wide range of topics are covered, ranging from optical theory to an incredibly detailed description of the effects of format size. To date, this is the only source I've found that explains in detail how split prism focusing screens and phase detection autofocus actually work. If you're interested in the technical side of photography then this site is a must-read.
- Equivalence
- A superb and very complete essay by Joseph James on the equivalence of various format sizes with respect to image quality.
- Photonotes.org
- The site hosts some very good articles. The article concerning the Canon EOS Flash system should be compulsory read for any Canon flash user.
- DOF Revisited
- Harold M. Merklinger challenges traditional DOF theory by turning in on its head. No longer is the Circle of Confusion the basis for judging DOF. Merklinger's indepth analysis of the problem will problably leave you a convert for life. Following links from this page will allow you to find his Adjusting Depth of Field articles which cover his analysis more clearly, as well as the free on-line PDF book that he wrote around the subject.
- DOF Plotter
- There are many DOF plotters on the web - this is one of the rare ones that use the correct equations in the close-up range. Most of them use simplied equations to make the programming easier, resulting in inaccurate results.
- DOF Examined
- An excellent examination of depth of field. If you're confused about the effect of focal length on DOF then the examples here should make things very clear.
Discussion Forums
Good Discussion forums can offer a fantastic learning experience. Here are few that have served me well in the past...
- Open Photography Forums
- The best photography forum on the net for those who prefer to talk about images instead of gear. It's
well organised and moderated by known and respected photographers. The forum has quickly
developed a very nice ambiance, attracting some very helpful photographers into the
mix. I now recommend this forum above all the alternatives.
Update: I'm now the moderator for the retouching forum and the pro forum, proving that there are always exceptions!
- Photo.net
- An excellent photo site with very well run forums. The lighting forum is particularly good.
Miscellaneous
- The IE 7 project
- I've designed several websites in my time. Each time I've fought against the varying behaviours of different web browsers. Those of you who have designed your own sites will know what I'm talking about. Well, this time was different. This time I've been able to use lots of nice CSS features without having to worry too much about these problems. This time, Internet Explorer behaves correctly! Dean Edwards's project to fix IE through the use of Javascript is truely wonderful.