Is This the Best Budget 35mm Lens for Sony?
In this review, we’re diving into the Viltrox 35mm f/1.2, a lens that surprised me in the best ways. I’ve had this thing in my hands for more than a month and have used it on multiple sessions now, and—spoiler alert—this is one of the best and most affordable 35mm lenses for Sony.
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Simple Techniques for Effective Lightroom Color Grading
Color grading your images can transform how people feel when viewing your work. Knowing how to do it right in Lightroom can mean the difference between a flat photo and one that connects emotionally.
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Insta360’s X5: An Incremental or Revolutionary Upgrade?
Another year, another Insta360 release. While that sounds like an anti-climactic statement about the new X5, it's not meant to be. While there may not be any headline-grabbing features like higher-resolution footage, there are a few improvements that make the camera just a bit more livable than the X4.
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Beyond the Crowds: Finding Unique Landscapes in a Photographed World
In a world that sees more and more travel every year, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find places that aren't crowded and haven't yet been photographed from every possible angle. But those places still exist; you simply have to search harder.
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The Truth About Perfect Light in Landscape Photography: Overcoming the Myth
Landscape photography often carries a widespread myth—the belief that bad light equals bad photos. Many photographers, especially those starting out, follow the conventional wisdom that only certain times of day, particularly golden hour, produce the best images. This belief has been perpetuated by social media, tutorials, and even some photography experts. But here’s the truth: the myth of “bad light” is limiting, and it’s holding you back from expanding your creative potential.
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A Beginner's Guide to Why You Should Shoot in Raw
You may have heard you should shoot in raw, but why use a format that's bulkier and takes more work? Let's explore the benefits.
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Why This Death Valley Dunes Video Made Me Want to Book a Flight Immediately
Some locations get overlooked because they seem too familiar—but every so often, a photographer comes along and shows you just how wrong that thinking is.
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What Does It Actually Mean to Be 'Cinematic'?
The term "cinematic" gets thrown around a lot, often without a clear understanding of what truly defines it. For anyone serious about video production, knowing the elements that genuinely create a cinematic experience is crucial to elevating your work beyond just visually pleasing footage.
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PTGui Version 13: The Powerhouse Panorama Editing Tool Got Even Better
Panorama photography presents unique challenges, both in the field and during post-processing. For years, PTGui has been a favorite powerhouse tool for photographers needing more control and better results than the basic stitching tools provide. Now, with the release of PTGui 13, this already excellent panorama stitching software gets a significant update, focusing on a streamlined DNG-based workflow, performance boosts, and useful new features. Is it worth the upgrade?
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Understanding Raw and JPEG for Better Editing
Understanding the differences between raw and JPEG is essential because it shapes your editing options, image quality, and storage requirements. Knowing when and why to choose each format can significantly influence the quality and versatility of your final images.
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The Sigma 300-600mm f/4: A Remarkable Lens
When Sigma announced the new 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports lens, it quickly caught attention due to its combination of extreme focal length and professional-grade optics. If you're serious about wildlife, sports, or nature photography, a lens like this can transform your approach.
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Portrait Magic Revealed
When it comes to creative portraits, sometimes the simplest things can make or break your vision. Likewise, there are times when small details in a scene can give your portraits that little something special.
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Professional Skin Retouching Made Simple in Lightroom
Retouching portraits often requires complex software and a steep learning curve, but Lightroom can simplify the process significantly. Mastering skin retouching within Lightroom helps streamline your workflow and produces natural, flattering results without additional costs or complexities.
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Upgrading Your MacBook: Should You Go Air or Pro?
Your next MacBook isn’t just about specs—it's about matching your creative needs with the right tool. Here's whether the Air or Pro is right for you.
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Why Your Best Photos Might Be Imperfect
Wabi-Sabi is a traditional Japanese philosophy that encourages seeing beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and simplicity. This approach can transform how you experience photography, offering depth to the everyday moments you capture.
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The Birth of the Digital Camera: From Film to Filmless Revolution
Photography has always been about capturing light to preserve moments. For over a century, that meant exposing a roll of film and then disappearing into a darkroom or waiting for a lab to develop the images. It’s easy to forget how different this process was before digital cameras came along. In the 1970s, the idea of instantly seeing a photo on a screen felt like science fiction. Yet it was in this era of film and chemicals that a young engineer quietly built a device that would change photography forever. What follows is the story of how the first digital camera was invented and how it transformed the way we take and share photos.
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Adobe’s New Tools for Effortless Video Creation
Adobe Firefly’s new AI tools—text-to-video and image-to-video—offer innovative ways to transform your creative workflow.
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Zeiss vs. Viltrox: Is Premium Always Better?
When photographers debate lens quality, few brands stir up as much discussion as Zeiss. The Zeiss 55mm f/1.8, despite being over a decade old, still attracts plenty of attention—and debate.
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Highlights From Adobe MAX in London
Adobe MAX is a gathering of photographers, filmmakers, and designers who want to see the latest innovations the company is working on and learn from other creatives who have mastered using the company’s software to fulfill their creative vision. There was no stated theme for this year’s event, but it was apparent to me that Adobe is making an effort across all its platforms to reduce tedious tasks in the creative workflow.
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Why Your Photography Should Avoid the Obvious
William Eggleston famously described himself as being "at war with the obvious," a compelling concept for any photographer to consider. Exploring what exactly counts as obvious—and why steering clear of it might make your work stand out—can help you create photographs people remember.
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