The Coolest Photography Links Of The Week

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Another wonderful week has passed us by in the world of photography, and Toad Hollow Photography has been very busy finding the best tutorials, photography and interesting blogs to share with everyone here.  They have compiled a truly comprehensive list of links that we hope everyone enjoys visiting.  Without further ado, we present this weeks list of great photography related links.

Check out the Toad’s latest blog post “No Rooms For Rent” on their photo blog, and to see an extensive gallery of images visit their Canadian Architectural and Landscape Photography site.

TUTORIALS

Tips on Shooting Manually: Part II – this second installment of tips from O'Brien Photo discusses in layman’s terms how to use and the resulting effect of your aperture.  Easy to understand terminology serves to give the reader a concise understanding of how and why adjusting this parameter in photography can result in dramatic differences in image production.

Boudoir Part 7: Use of Props – another installment in the running series from the studio of Erik Kerstenbeck discusses props and lighting for model shoots.    Erik shares a few tips and tricks in the proper staging of these sorts of shots, sure to leave everyone with a deeper understanding of how to go about performing this style of photography.

Pro Tip: Calculating Unknown Star Trail Exposure Times – Jim Goldstein consistently delivers both incredible and renowned photography, and he also shares many great tips, tricks and techniques with the community at large.  This tip is presented like a tutorial, and shares what has to be a not widely known trick to use to calculate exposure times for those images that don’t have embedded EXIF information.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Over the rooftops of San Francisco – a gorgeous landscape shot of San Francisco awaits the viewer in this wonderful post by Jim Nix.  As the sun sets painting the sky with incredible colors, all the details in the cityscape slowly begin to emerge, producing a striking and beautiful scene sure to delight and amaze everyone who visits.

Dark Passage – another masterpiece from the studio of Scott Frederick, this time taken inside an abandoned castle in upstate NY.  Incredible composition and framing merge with jaw-droppingly awesome post-processing to create a picture that is full of raw emotion and drama.  Absolutely incredible, to say the very least.

A Boat for Dad – New Brunswick – a continuation of Anne McKinnells latest series, this post highlights local fishing boats on the east coast of Canada.  Employing a rather inventive method to avoid tipping over in low tide, this series of photographs is absolutely compelling and utterly enjoyable.

Thanks! And Hope… – an absolutely incredible sunrise is punctuated with very dramatic clouds in this beautiful HDR landscape photo.  Rob Hanson photographs a stunning scene from Cobscook Bay State Park in northern coastal Maine, producing something truly special.

Inspirational Coincidence – a wonderful, wonderful waterfall photo is shared by Jerry Denham.  Accented by the accompanying story that truly proves what a small world we live in, this picture forms the foundation for a truly profound experience.

Duke Kahanamoku’s surfboard – a fabulous black and white photograph of a classic surfboard.  A truly incredible image from Joni Sternbach finds further interest in the accompanying storyline that goes with it.  Well worth the time to visit, for sure.

Snoqualmie Falls – there is something majestic in a waterfall, but sometimes this scale of the fall can be lost somewhat in photography.  In this incredible landscape photo, Jay Taylor masterfully composes a shot that delivers all the drama, including the immense scale, of the waterfalls producing a truly jaw-droppingly incredible photo.

Make Me Smile – a wonderful, colorful, vibrant set of images here, complete with great details and textures to enjoy.  Graffiti forms the subject matter, and the industrial canvas helps to produce the detailed textures that just pop right out of the monitor at the viewer.

View Towers – an iconic pair of buildings in Victoria provides the subject matter in this set of images.  Great composition helps to produce a series of pictures that really is both dramatic and compelling at the same time.

Solitary Man – as the title of this post suggests, a lone figure sits on a stair in Jerusalem, Israel.  Edith Levy captures all the emotion of the scene and frames the man with some truly elegant and historic architecture, producing a strong picture well worth the time to visit.

American Kestrel – a truly stunning piece from the studio of Jay Taylor shares a crisp and details photo of this incredible bird.  This perfectly composed picture really shows off the wonderful colors and details of the bird, producing a truly strong image sure to delight the bird lover in everyone.

On the Deck – a unique perspective of the Brooklyn Bridge walkway produces a picture with great lines of interest.  Exquisitely composed by Erik Kerstenbeck, this picture of the bridge is most certainly an absolute one-off shot that delivers a special moment for all to enjoy.

Beer Label Friday Week 47 – another installment in the weekly series from Chris Nitz delivers a truly compelling shot of a beer label.  Complete with awesome details, tones and textures, this is much more than a picture of a label, it’s a great work of art.

All Aboard! – I truly love train photography, and in this shot by Jimi Jones we have the panacea of this style sure to satisfy everyone who shares this passion.  A wonderful and detailed piece, this picture is absolutely incredible and is a must-see shot for this week.

Rustic Scene – a wonderful scene awaits the viewer in this great photograph by Helene Kobelnyk.  A rustic old building produces a compelling subject for the masterful photography of Helene, as she delivers a shot with incredible details and textures to enjoy.  This is truly well worth the time to visit and view.

Mornin’ – a beautiful wooden pier leads the viewers eye out naturally to take in the sun as it crests the horizon and produces some truly incredible colors to behold.  Steve Beal masterfully captures this sunrise and produces an image with a compelling sky and fabulous details, sure to amaze and delight everyone who visits.

Sunday, Peaceful Sunday – Heather Neil shares another installment of her weekly series, delivering a dramatic and compelling black-and-white photo for this post.  Great composition coupled with diametrically opposed elements of man and nature combine in this shot to produce something that is truly a work of fine art.

Gold Rush – another incredible long exposure shot with fast moving water as the main source of subject matter is found in this post from the studio of Jerry Denham.  Incredible colors and tones only producible by Mother Nature herself are exquisitely captured in this beautiful photograph.

Mosaic Reflections – you have just got to see this incredible photograph from the studio of Len Saltiel.  The iconic Hearst Castle in California has been the source of much incredible photography in the last several decades, and this shot of the swimming pool and it’s intricate tile work is one of the very best.

Multiplicity – a wonderful photo by Curt Fleenor delivers a beautiful landscape shot with a small yet quick moving river.  Fabulous tones and details emerge from this shot as the viewer spends time to soak it all in; definitely a picture well worth the time to visit and view.

Through The Portal – the HDR photography process comes shining through in this absolutely incredible image from the studio of Jim Denham.  The Milwaukee City Hall entrance serves as a frame for this texture-rich image, producing a shot with incredible details in the stonework that comprises the arch.

Grimm – a whimsical post and image by Bob Lussier really shares a unique vision and production of a scene shot at Forest Glen.  Wonderful magic and mystery quickly emerge in this image as the viewer takes some time to enjoy all the details found in this wonderful composition.  A must-see shot for this week, sure to delight and amaze everyone who pops over for a visit.

Radioactive – great juxtapositions emerge quickly in this set of images as great colors and details come to life.  Steven Perlmutter finds and captures a set of images that are slightly out of context in the surrounding area, yet produce a great series of a bridge that delivers great color and lighting.

One shot – Rob and Anna | Wedding – master photographer Mike Olbinski shares an incredible photograph of a beautiful bride in a pecan grove down in Queen Creek.  A great eye for composition is coupled with a natural ability to bring the very best out of his subject, and this gorgeous picture really showcases his talents wonderfully.

Sunset Bridge Kiss – romance is totally in the air in this wonderful shot from the studio of Mark Garbowski.  Taken from the passengers seat of a moving car, this photograph really shows off the incredible talents of Mark as he produces and shares a picture of stunning beauty.

Wild Grass, Windsor – slightly abstract in nature, this fabulous shot of wild grass in a field really showcases the power of great silhouettes in photography.  Ren Bostelaar captures and shares a truly wonderful image in it’s simplicity, complete with wonderful tones and colors to enjoy.

The Martorana in Palermo, Sicily – a wonderful and detailed post by Doug Pruden shares a bit of history in conjunction with a truly stunning set of photographs.  This iconic chapel is masterfully documented by Doug, producing a work that leaves the visitor with a deeper sense of the history behind the facility as well as a great set of photos.

Twilight in Nashville – in this shot, Jim Nix delivers a compelling and colorful photo taken in Centennial Park in Nashville as the sun droops over the horizon.  The details, specifically the trees, in this photo make it truly pop with rich colors and tones, producing a truly incredible image.

Thanksgiving Weekend Images – Sans The Turkey – a great set of images taken mostly at night whilst out camping, by Shane Lund.  Fabulous colors and details are ready and waiting to enjoy in this post, well worth the time to visit and view.

Peeler Up Close – a truly great series of images of the industrial variety, showcasing an old peeler.  Exquisite lighting and incredible composition merge in this series to take an ordinary household item and make it truly extraordinary.

Foggy Mirror – incredible, absolutely incredible!  This black and white photo of a dense fog on a body of water, straight from the studio of Steven Perlmutter, delivers a shot with fabulous reflections and true drama.

Dependable Engines – a wonderful image with great colors, tones and smatterings of fabulous bokeh adorn our monitors in this shot from Bob Lussier.  A Pratt & Whitney plane engine produces the perfect subject matter for Bob to capture, process and share.

Delicate Drama – an exquisitely processed image by Jason Hines really brings home all the drama and emotion of the landscape.  The natural stone arch at Arches National Park produces the most striking photographic subject for Jason, and he masterfully captures and delivers a great image.

Swedish Beauty – Adam Allegro captures and shares a photo of a windmill in the Swedish countryside that is guaranteed to take your breath away.  Great composition, a wonderful and dramatic sky and incredible details all merge in this shot to produce a stunning piece.

Long Exposure Carnival – a great series of long exposure shots taken in a carnival at night.  Fabulous colors and light adorn the set creating a truly mesmerizing series to take in and enjoy.

Gunston Hall, Home of George Mason, Mason Neck, Virginia – a wonderful photograph sharing some fabulous historic architecture.  Details in the brickwork in conjunction with incredible tones and details converge to create a truly compelling photograph, straight from the studio of Mark Summerfield.

What It Takes To Make A Great Photo – a wonderful photo and blog post from Ugo Cei shares some insight into great photography.  The image posted is just exquisite with perfect composition and lighting, and the accompanying story paints a picture of the care and effort that went into the capture.

Splash – a wonderful photo with great colors and tones highlights the power of Mother Nature by capturing a splash in action.  José Canelas captures and shares a masterful picture, sure to delight everyone who pops over for a view.

The ever changing skys in the Swiss Alps – this image is guaranteed to make your jaw hit the floor!  An incredible landscape photograph of the wonderful Swiss Alps shot in HDR produces a compelling and absolutely mesmerizing image to view.  As shot and shared by Michael Steighner.

Cemetery Right Freezing Fog Left… – one of my favorite parts about photography is it’s innate ability to speak 1,000 words with a single glance.  This is one such image!  Slightly humorous due to the title and the context of the picture itself, this one is sure to make everyone laugh out loud.

Ascend – the first word to come to mind with this incredible photograph is amazing.  Or maybe astonishing.  Regardless of the word that pops to mind this picture is absolutely perfectly composed and highlights some wonderful dramatic colors and tones, and great lines through the composition of the architectural elements at play.  Michael Murphy delivers another commanding and powerful image, guaranteed to delight and amaze everyone.

Lake Louise Exposed – the incredible Lake Louise sits in the heart of the Jasper/Banff National Park area of Canada and has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.  In this night shot of the lake, Hansrico Photography masterfully uses long exposure techniques to pull all the wonder and details of the landscape to life for everyone to take in and enjoy.

A Breeze In The Air – the most incredible colors and tones await the viewer in this post from Jacob Lucas.  As the sun sets on the skyline of Seattle, the skyscrapers and the iconic Space Needle form perfect silhouettes, creating a most compelling scene to take in and enjoy.

Sunset silhouette – a stalk of grass creates a perfect silhouette for a vibrant and colorful sky.  Stefano Pedroni uses perfect composition to create a dramatic image, sure to amaze everyone who pops over to view.

Rare Sunda Scops Owl – a truly incredible photograph of this rare owl shares a perfectly composed picture full of true emotion.  The details of this incredible bird are so crisp, you feel like you can reach into your monitor and give it’s ear a little scratch.

The River Mist – a strong mist drapes the water, creating a strong sensation of drama and intrigue.  A wonderful landscape photo, absolutely guaranteed to spark a mysterious sense within.

Winding Path – a wonderfully composed landscape photo of a, well, a winding path.  The perfect composition leads the eye wonderfully through the frame, really delivering a great shot sure to leave the viewer in a peaceful state.  Straight from the studio of Chris Maskell, this is a true must-see shot for this week.

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DSC_5955s by savillent, on Flickr

Just Buzzing Around – a great, great macro close-up shot of a bee.  Exquisite depth of focus really brings all the wonder and joy of the scene to life in this masterful capture from the studio of Kerri Farley.

Butterfly Ballerina – another great close-up shot by Kerri Farley, this one shows off the wonder and beauty of a butterfly.  The wonderful texture applied to this image of a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly really accents the beauty of the scene in it’s entirety; well worth the time to visit and view!

Tuesday Evening – Exile Imaging delivers a great cityscape shot complete with incredible textures and details.  The city skyline produces a striking subject and the buildings on the horizon create a truly stunning cutout against the back sky…  well worth the visit to say the very least!

London Underground Escalators – a wonderfully composed shot complete with incredible leading lines naturally provided by the architectural elements.  Bora Horza shares a strong and engaging image with everyone in this Flickr post, well worth the time to visit.

Tambourine Girl – a great natural, candid shot of a girl playing her tambourine in the streets.  Fabulous composition delivers all the raw emotion in the scene, masterfully captured by Andy Teo.

Scale – another incredible photograph from the studio of Scott Frederick, this time showcasing a strong architectural piece.  There are so many strong elements in this image, starting with the picture-perfect composition and the added interest inherent in the reflections in the glass.  An absolute must-see photo for this week!

Reflection of Mount Blandshard – the stalwart presence of the mountain is only slightly surpassed by the incredible beauty to be found in the wonderful water reflection in this landscape photo.  Michael Russell captures and shares a photograph of just stunning beauty, producing something guaranteed to delight and amaze everyone who visits!

2 shots of Abandoned Farm House – a pair of striking and compelling photos of an abandoned farmhouse.  Great compositions and processing merge in this set, creating a pair of photographs that are absolutely engaging, straight from the studio of Scott Hovind.

Follow – a simple, uncomplex piece from the studio of Bob Lussier delivers a plethora of drama and raw emotion.  The unusual composition used to capture this image only serves to add an element of urgency to the drama, and Bob further paints a picture through his use of language.  This is truly a must-see shot for this week.

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Uniden by Missi1005, on Flickr

Red-Bellied Woodpecker Smiles – this incredibly beautiful image of a woodpecker in it’s natural habitat is masterfully captured by Kerri Farley.  Great composition coupled with super crisp details really brings this wonderful bird to life for us all to enjoy.

Shine – truly incredible light and colors await the viewer in this iconic landscape photograph.  Mirna Vidić captures and shares a gorgeous piece, sure to delight and amaze everyone.

Plan to Succeed (and you will) – another great post in a running series from Chris Maskell delivers not only a truly beautiful and compelling photo, but it also serves as a source of inspiration.  The great picture in this post is very well seen and composed, bringing the vision of the photographer fully out for us to take in and enjoy.

Another Day of Amazing Fall Colors in Kyoto – a spectacular image, straight from the studio of Jeffrey Friedl.  Colors of never-ending depth await the viewer in this exquisite photograph, guaranteed to amaze everyone who pops by to view.

Fly Geyser – I don’t know where to begin in describing this jaw-droppingly awesome image!  To start with, the colors and tones here are absolutely enchanting and magical, and the details in the surrounding landscapes really produce an absolutely compelling photo.  Denny Thurston captures and delivers an image that almost looks like it originates from another planet entirely.

December 2011 Wallpaper – David duChemin delivers a wonderful and gorgeous landscape shot that he offers for download to use as a desktop wallpaper for your computer.  This incredible shot really exemplifies why David is considered one of the top photographers of our generation.

A Trip to South Carolina – mist and fog can be such strong elements to capture in landscape photography, adding a dimension of drama to the imagery produced.  In this set, Michael Frye captures and shares a truly gorgeous set of images, absolutely well worth the time to visit and view.

On filling in the space between – Brian Matiash is not only a renowned top drawer photographer of our generation, but he has a unique ability to teach and inspire the community at large through his work.  This photo, by itself, it absolutely wonderful to take in, but when coupled with his inspiring words it combines to create a sense of urgency.  A must-see post for this week.

Cabo Afterglow – at first glance this photo may fool you into believing it’s a painting, the colors and details are so vibrant.  David Ziser captures and delivers a wonderful landscape photo of this little piece of heaven, guaranteed to immediately help you find inner peace and solitude.

INTERESTING BLOGS

The Lonely Castle – a photographic story complete with an old castle, great stonework, empty rooms and tons of interesting natural weathering.  This story is absolutely guaranteed to delight and amaze everyone who takes it in.  The story itself is very well written, and the jaw-droppingly awesome photography that accompanies it adds so much depth.

10 easy tips to make you a better photographer – Edin Chavez shares a short but important set of tips and tricks on how to improve your photography.  Some points may be obvious, but I do believe they all warrant being mentioned to help everyone become the photographer they wish to be.

Stirring the Fire: Women’s Stories Around the World – a profound set of images is punctuated by a profound blog post here, sure to inspire and motivate everyone who takes the time to visit.  This is definitely one of the most profound pieces we’ve encountered this week, and we encourage everyone to read this post.

Launching My First eBook – one of my favorite local photographers has just released a new eBook and has it offered for download on her site.  Anne McKinnell produces some truly incredible photography and any book written by her is sure to share some insight into the craft of photography with folks of all skill levels.  This initial offering from her is free, yes you saw that correctly, we’re talking free here…  head on over and download your copy today!

Inland Sailor – An HDR Collaboration Project – another great collaboration project graces our monitors this week, done by a group of some of the most talented photographers I have ever met.  This landscape photo would be stunning to take in under normal circumstances, but here we have the chance to see the same image as processed by the hands of a plethora of talented artists.  The results are amazing, to say the least.

Defying Reason: Baselining Is the newest Craze – when people decide to jump off perfectly good mountains and buildings, these are the results.  This incredible story is complete with a short video that shows you what this is all about, and is accompanied by a truly incredible set of photographs.  For the adventurer who prefers to stay on solid ground but enjoy the ride, this post is guaranteed to amaze.

Jürgen Bürgin: The story about how to become a Street Photographer – an inspiring and engaging blog post sharing the story of how Jürgen became a well known street photographer.  The incredible details behind this story really show us what it takes to get here, and in many ways are a source of true inspiration to keep shooting, keep moving forward.

Want to Shoot a Portrait of Substance? Leave Out the Smiling! – this is a thought provoking post, with links to other related materials.  Definitely well worth the time to visit and read.

The Flow of a Photo Session – a great article that provides some awesome tips and tricks on performing a photo shoot, complete with real-world examples.  This is a great article, sure to provide some insight into this style for everyone.

Gigi Stoll: A Journey Like No Other (From Both Sides of The Camera) – a wonderful piece sharing some insights from a photographer who is adventuring and producing great photography.  A wonderful, short article, well worth the time to take in and enjoy.

10 Reasons Why Google+ Is Better for Social Photography Than Flickr – no matter what your preference or experience is with social networking in general, this is a great article that goes into some fabulous depth as to why Google+ is such a powerful tool for photographers.  Written by Thomas Hawk, this is a great piece, well worth the time to read.

The girl who mocked me – a poignant and profound blog post with some candid and wonderful photography to accent it.  Mariana Bazo shares some insight into this girls life, and through this teaches us all a bit about the human condition as a whole.

About Author

I am a fine arts photographer that specializes in HDR techniques. Please feel free to visit our Limited Edition Prints site, our Online Gallery or our lively Photoblog.

Thanks for including me in your outstanding roundup, Toad. I really appreciate it. 🙂

This is always an outstanding resource and a means of connecting with some really awesome photographers, so I’m honored to be mentioned.

All my pleasure, fine sir! Thanks for your visit and support here, too, Jimi, that really means a lot!

Hi Toad – thank you, once again, for including me in your lineup – I can’t get over that you like my photos enough to include them several times now. It sure makes me smile when you do 🙂 I have been enjoying your recent series on derelict buildings in our town over at toadhollow – you are doing a great service to those old and condemned buildings to document them for posterity.

Thanks for your ongoing support and encouragement of our work, too, my friend. It’s truly my pleasure to be able to highlight some of your wonderful work in our weekly lists. Thank you for everything!

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