73 Links and Photos That Will Make Your Photography-Loving Head Explode

It's been a truly wonderful week online in the world of photography, and Toad Hollow Photography has been busy collecting the best set of links to tutorials, great photography and interesting blogs to share with everyone.  This is a really great list highlighting wonderful work by some of the best photographers who are active online, and we hope you enjoy looking at these pieces as much as the Toad did in bringing them to you.

Check out the Toad's photoblog featuring Canadian landscapes and historical artifacts, and his Fine Art Landscape Photography website.

TUTORIALS

Ask JoeB: Chainlink Fence – another wonderful and highly informative blog post from Joe Baraban discusses textures and lines in art.  The image being critiqued is just wonderful, producing fabulous leading lines and a frame for the slightly out of focus window in the background.  This is a truly wonderful post sure to teach almost everyone something about image composition, and specifically photography.

Ask JoeB: Zoom Range – another post from Joe Baraban delivers a critique on a specific composition.  The comments and thoughts he shares with the reader are guaranteed to help almost everyone with their image compositions, producing a post that is a real gem in this weeks links list.  This quick read is well worth the time to visit.

Photography Exercise That Teaches You How to Shoot Better – a wonderful tutorial exercise that is spot-on and will undoubtedly help everyone who reads it create better compositions in their own craft.  This short article is full of details on a great concept that I am just heading out the door to try myself…

Bringing Beauty Home with Panoramas – master photographer Lee Brown shares with us a truly breathtaking panorama landscape photo, but he also does one better by sharing some really great tips and tricks for capturing these types of images.  Lee goes into pretty great detail in this post, discussing some of the more technical points behind the challenges that are encountered with panoramas.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Learning to See Part 9 – our very own @tomdinning continues his running series “Learning to See” with this absolutely profound post.  Magic, indeed, is seen, captured and shared by Tom in this epic article, leaving the reader with a strong sense of the profound, as well as a renewed eye to the craft.  Once again, the harshest critic is ourselves, and when we look through all the rules and geometry that intrinsically makes up the art of photography, and more generally, imagery, we find ourselves.

The Shed – moody, eerie, dramatic and absolutely wonderful!  This incredible black and white image as photographed and shared by Jim Denham delivers a piece of imagery that is compelling and captivating; a must see shot in this weeks list for sure!

Spiritual – this is one of my favorite spots in the world.  When I was growing up we used to visit the Jasper National Park almost every year on vacation and it was one of my mom’s favorite places.  This epic and storied photograph of the world famous Spirit Island on Maligne Lake in Jasper is hands-down one of the very best I’ve ever seen.  One day we hope to get here and try our own hand at this unbelievable location, but in the meantime we’ve got this top drawer shot from Len Saltiel to view and enjoy!

Dior creme in a splash flower – a wonderful and highly dramatic piece as delivered from the studio of Alex Koloskov showcases a staged product image that really delivers a message in a glance.  Fabulous details and drama are all present in this exquisite image, well worth the time to visit and view.

Travel Adventures: The Louvre, Paris, France – a stunning collection of truly epic photographs taken in The Louvre, Paris.  Doug Pruden captures a great series and showcases it in a slide-show presentation format, producing an absolutely riveting and compelling piece to enjoy.

Two Worlds – The Bean People – what a fabulous post here by Erik and Kathleen Kerstenbeck!  We get a unique and wonderful shot of the infamous Chicago “Bean” which is wonderfully composed to literally deliver two images, two messages, in one shot.  Absolutely fabulous, well worth the time to visit!

Moonlight – a highly dramatic and captivating black and white photograph from the studio of Barbara Youngleson shares a wonderful moonlit water scene.  This highly emotional piece delivers a powerful message and is exquisitely processed by Barbara, definitely a highlight in this weeks list.

Little Caesar – a wonderful and evocative image of a primate straight from the studio of Tim Stanley.  The image itself is absolutely top drawer, but the expression on the face of the chimpanzee add a ton of interest to the photograph, producing something truly special and unique.

GB Heron and Roseate Spoonbill – a truly wonderful photograph showcasing two beautiful birds, as captured and delivered by Mark Paulson.  The perfect composition and depth-of-focus work together in this stunning piece to bring a stunning image to life for the viewer to enjoy.

Green-winged Teal – an image so crisp and sharp, at first glance it almost appears to be a painting.  The wonderful details in the beautiful bird are masterfully captured and shared by Jay Taylor, producing a piece that is a must-see image in this weeks list.

Storm Ridge – an epic and powerful piece, captured here in the same city I live in.  The power and wonder of a powerful storm is carefully captured using long exposure techniques which in turn add so much mystery and drama to the scene.  I love the foggy effect a well done long exposure shot can produce in violent waters, and this post highlights this effect just wonderfully.

Chasing creativity – we all experience this at one time or another; the loss of the feeling of creativity.  In this case, however, this loss results in the creation of an absolutely wonderful and breathtaking landscape photograph.  Great leading lines can be found in the natural shoreline, and the sun poking its way through a diffused sky work together to create a highly dramatic piece that truly exhibits the notion of tension in an image.

Dream Theatre – Morecombe Winter Gardens – wow, what a truly epic series of images of an iconic entertainment complex in the UK.  A team of prolific UrBex photographers captured and share a wonderful set taken inside this theatre, producing a piece that is truly captivating and compelling to view.  Well worth the time to visit.

Autumn Trail – paths and roads can produce dramatic leading lines for the viewer to follow through a frame, and this is a great example of this.  Scott Hovind captures and shares a powerful autumn image with great colors and details to enjoy by all.

Down in the Valley – a colorful and vibrant landscape image awaits the viewer in this wonderful photograph from Tim Stanley.  Virginia is a beautiful place in the world, and here Tim captures a shot of the rolling vista that is absolutely compelling.  It also gives the viewer a strong sense of scale with the way the image appears to go on forever.

Family Visits – an absolutely profound post discusses remembering those who came before us and the importance of carrying these memories forward for future generations awaits the viewer here.  The wonderful sentiments are punctuated with fabulous photography of flowers, completing this post and producing something wonderful.

Four in a Row – master HDR photographer at Farbspiel Photography delivers a wonderful and colorful macro shot of water drops on a flowers petal.  Truly great colors and intricate details await the viewer with this shot, producing a compelling and captivating piece that is well worth the time to visit and view.

Sunday, Peaceful Sunday – a wonderful installment in the running series as produced by Heather Neil.  These picture posts include no words as the image is intended to convey the entire message in one look.  This wonderful rolling landscape photo from Heather really delivers a great piece of imagery in this regard, one that is a true pleasure and joy to view.

Luscious Tomato Slices – if you like intrigue, color and tons of interest in one place you will LOVE this image posted by Helene Kobelnyk.  I don’t even know how she did this, but somehow we get a translucent image of tomato slices from Helene in this absolutely stunning picture; one that is well worth the time to visit and view in this weeks list!

A history of plant and animal death – our very own @astaroth here at Light Stalking produces another great series to view and enjoy by all.  A natural tragedy unfolds in the park he visits, and in this case he carefully photographs the outcome of this event and some of the other interesting elements in the park, and delivers a truly compelling post to view.

Creek Swirl – Jerry Denham captures and shares a great shot of natural swirling action in a creek.  Long exposure techniques were utilized in the capturing of this shot, producing a piece that is both absolutely beautiful and completely interesting, at the same time.

Primate Reflecting – this image is the pure definition of tension in imagery.  Scott Hovind captures and delivers a truly compelling and stunning image, of a primate sitting and looking out what appears to be a window of sorts.  The incredible look in his eyes and the wonderful lighting in this picture converge to really create something special and highly emotional.  A great picture to be enjoyed by all.

Green Eyed – wow, this is a truly stunning shot of a Tiger as it sits gazing over it’s kingdom.  This exquisite animal is perfectly captured with this incredible composition from North Metro Photo and is full of great details and interest for everyone to take in and enjoy.

Rest in Peace – a highly poignant and profound image from the studio of Steve Beal remembers someone who was important to him.  This wonderful landscape photo looks down the wandering shoreline which creates a lovely natural leading line, and is accentuated with incredible clouds to add mystery and drama.  A great shot to remember someone special.

In The Spotlight – a gorgeous shot of a cascading waterfall accented with exquisite natural light.  This epic picture is captured and shared by Curt Fleenor, delivering a beautiful and special piece that is sure to delight and amaze everyone who pops by to view.

Cold Case Files – a wonderful, gritty, texturey picture from the studio of John Sotiriou delivers a shot so full of visual intrigue it’s difficult to tear your eyes away from it.  The exquisite shallow depth-of-focus brings the viewers eye right to the best part of the subject, producing a piece that is stunning and alluring all at the same time.

Desiccate – I don’t even know where to start with this one.  This picture, taken at the Salton Sea which is in-and-of itself an utterly fascinating and strange place in the United States, really delivers a macabre view of what remains.  Aaron Barlow skillfully and carefully composes and processes a shot that really speaks to the place itself, albeit with a touch of creepiness to it.

What You See in an Airport – a truly wonderful series, all captured with a cell-phone by Chris Nitz.  Chris captures and documents a visit in an airport with a series of truly inspiring and incredible photographs each full of drama and tension.  This is a wonderful series, sure to be enjoyed by all who visit.

Sunset at Fort Foster – what a truly profound landscape photograph, captured by Bob Lussier.  Great colors in the sky are accented by the awesome natural leading line of the dock, combining to produce a piece that is guaranteed to delight and amaze all who visit to view.

St Stefano Rotondo – a truly awesome interior architectural study of St Stefano Rotondo basilica delivers a strong and compelling piece to enjoy.  Giuseppe Sapori does a great job of capturing all the details and elements of interest in this iconic location, producing a piece that is a true must-see image in this weeks list.

The Temple Bar, Dublin – full of both incredible architectural details and wonderful colors, this shot from the studio of Jim Nix is just chock full of great textures and crisp details.  This iconic spot in Ireland offers Jim the picture-perfect location for his masterful photography, creating a breathtaking piece that rewards the viewer who spends time taking in all the details.

Loophole – I just love great reflections and I love great architecture.  In this top drawer image from Barbara Youngleson we get the best of both worlds in one jaw-droppingly awesome photograph.  There is so much of interest in this shot, the viewer is captivated for an extended time taking in all the rich details that are carefully captured and shared here by Barbara.

Autumn Mirror – another incredible reflection awaits the viewer in this stunning, stunning masterpiece from the studio of Len Saltiel.  A landscape photograph so beautiful and compelling is produced here, delivering something that is sure to delight and amaze all who visit.

Wool Grading Sheds – Ironwork – fabulous details and textures are all to be found within this great image from the studio of Mark Blundell.  Classic ironwork is the main subject of this image, but the textures and details in the abandoned room also share a story themselves, one that will be enjoyed by all who visit.

West Parks – The Links – viola, indeed!  Chris Maskell captures, processes and shares another incredible picture from his UrBex outings.  This shot of a covered walkway is so perfectly composed, with top drawer lines and tons of great textures.  This one is guaranteed to delight and amaze all who pop over for a visit.

Which Came First – a poignant and thoughtful post from the studio of Steven Perlmutter delivers both a strong and compelling image, but also poses a truly interesting question for which there appears to be no real answer.  This is a truly memorable picture employing just a wonderful shallow depth-of-focus to add further interest, well worth the time to visit and view.

Shhh – Sleeping Here… – Rob Hanson captures and shares a most wondrous image here with everyone.  Fabulous and rich details are all masterfully captured in this fabulous shot of a, um, sleeping bee.  Seriously, it’s a bee and it’s asleep.  This is definitely a shot that will delight and amaze everyone who pops by for a viewing.

Churchyard, Toronto – a wonderful and brutally cold photograph is captured and shared by Ren Bostelaar in this iconic shot taken in Toronto, Canada.  A church in the background provides architectural interest, and the lovely snowfall in the foreground of the scene provides the sense of bone-chilling cold, combing to create an epic winter shot sure to delight everyone.

Friday Night – sometimes an image tells an entire story with one quick look, and this shot as captured by Helene Kobelnyk really exemplifies this quite nicely.  A simple shot of a beer bottle is accented by it’s surrounding, and the exquisite shallow depth-of-focus helps to combine with these factors to produce a quintessential shot to express what a Friday night truly is!

Blue hour on the River Liffey – a stunning architectural study of Dublin’s city skyline awaits the viewer in this truly incredible shot from Jim Nix.  Great colors and tones adorn the sky, and the inclusion of the wonderful lights of the city really adds so much to the overall scene; this is a picture that is truly well worth the time to visit and view.

Shane’s Milky Way – nighttime photography can produce breathtaking results, and in this shot as delivered by the good folks at Hansrico Photography really shows why.  The beautiful stars paint such a wonderful scene on the night sky, which in turn is punctuated by the wonderful silhouette of the trees.

Cactus and Towers – a great shot focusing on the beauty and inherent interest in cactus using a city skyline as a backdrop.  Shane Lund captures and shares a truly wonderful shot, one that is guaranteed to delight all who visit.

White Gazebo – a wonderful, wonderful image from the studio of Jimi Jones shares a scene of a lovely white gazebo in a field.  Jimi employed painterly type processing techniques on this image, producing a beautiful and compelling piece, sure to be enjoyed by all who visit to view.

Cotehele – Potting Shed – this image will keep you engaged and mesmerized for quite some time, taking in all the details and textures that Mark Blundell so carefully captured and processed.  This old potting shed is full of history, and in this jaw-droppingly amazing shot, Mark really captures the full character and in the end produces something that is both very special as well as utterly unique.

Awaking in a Snow Covered Dream – the white and vibrant peaks of Austria provide the perfect snow covered setting for Adam Allegro to capture and share.  These mountains are majestic and beautiful beyond words, and Adam really does a top drawer job of capturing these breathtaking scenes to produce a set of shots that is just stunning.

The Twilight Zone – there is no way to describe this image any better than the title that Aaron Barlow came up with for it.  This exquisite and unique black-and-white image utilizes a different framing technique and composition to share a full story with the viewer, one that is well worth the time to visit and view.

Broken – wow, this is amazing.  One of the most dramatic and subtle shots I’ve seen all week, straight from the studio of Scott Frederick.  This black-and-white shot taken inside a dilapidated room really brings all the moodiness and intrigue to life for all to enjoy.  This is a top drawer image, pop over to see for yourself.

Ready to Depart – fabulous natural light drapes over the main subject in this shot, bringing with it a strong sense of drama and tension.  Chris Maskell masterfully captures and shares a shot taken in an abandoned institution that is so compelling it’s sure to delight everyone who visits and views.

Skunked – a truly epic and incredible shot of a sunrise coming up over a lake produces an utterly captivating piece by Jerry Denham.  This HDR shot uses all the best elements of the composition to produce an image that is alive with color and literally pops out of the monitor at the viewer.

Bancroft’s Castle – I keep coming back to this image to marvel in the absolutely perfect composition that John Sotiriou managed to use to capture this shot.  A castle, mostly in ruins now, forms the main subject for this image, but this great subject is further enhanced by a truly epic sunflare that comes shining through one of the stone window frames.  Absolutely stunning.

Columns – Jim Denham masterfully captures and processes a great composition of this old, now unused church.  Fabulous textures and details all emerge as the viewer spends time taking this image in, making it well worth the time to visit in this weeks list of links.

Inside an Icy Mossy Cave – oh wow, what an amazing shot as captured by Kristi Hines!  An ice cave sits and awaits her photography, whereby she captures a truly wonderful shot expressing the story of this incredible location.  Well worth the time to visit and view, to say the very least!

Glaciers – Mount Rainier delivers the perfect setting for Scott Wood on his photographic adventures in the sky.  This iconic mountain is very famous in the Pacific Northwest, and in this top drawer shot Scott really shows why.  The scale of this natural feature is amazing, well captured for all to visit and view.

Oh Beautiful Blue Lake of Grandale – a gorgeous landscape awaits the viewer with this great image, as captured by Jay&Jacy Photography.  A beautiful lake, indeed, provides the perfect landscape, which in turn is masterfully captured using HDR techniques to share with everyone.

Buzzard Eagle Pounces – a wonderful wildlife photo from the studio of Bev delivers a stunning shot of this engaging and compelling bird.  Perfect composition works together with the wonderful and crisp details captured to really create something wonderful and unique.

Green Heron and His Reflection – another stellar bird photo, this one from the studio of Kerri Farley.  A great shot that shows this gorgeous bird in his natural habitat.  Wonderful details in the heron combine with a stunning water reflection to deliver something that is a joy to view.

INTERESTING BLOGS

About Cormorants – we live a few short kilometers away from this location, I believe, yet we were completely unaware of this wildlife in our own proverbial backyard.  This is a great and educational post on the lifestyles of the Cormorant coupled with photography.  Definitely well worth the time to visit and view.

Whymper, the Matterhorn, and the Monte Rosa Hotel – this wonderful post by LensScaper (Andy Hooker) is peppered with great photography, but also serves as an educational piece.  Our roving photographer friend, Andy, goes into great detail on the history of mountaineering in this area of the world and the first folks who attempted this incredible and dangerous activity.

The 2012 Book of Lists Party – My Favorite Night EVER! – an inspirational piece by Michael Glover showcases an honor he received for a truly stunning and epic shot he took.  Congratulations are most definitely in order for Michael here, and when you see the photograph that he took that was selected, you’ll immediately understand why it was chosen.  To call this top drawer doesn’t come close to doing it justice.  Personally, I found inspiration in the story…  a story of how life can change with a phone-call.

February 2012 Desktop Wallpaper Calendar – Curt Fleenor shares another desktop calendar image for everyone to download and share for free!  This is a truly wonderful image processed in black-and-white, producing a great and dramatic scene to drape your desktop for the month, pop over and help yourself!  Thanks, Curt!

The Haunting Late Night Photography of Michael Kenna – you have simply got to see this collection of incredible photographs!  These slightly minimalistic images taken in what appears to be mostly Japan paint a strong and compelling picture of the natural landscape of it part of the world.  This is a truly amazing collection, well worth the time to pop over to see.

How My Wedding Dress Snuck By Me – this is a truly wonderful post, full of interest and humor through the writing which gives us a glimpse into the inner thoughts of Kate as she goes about trying to find the perfect wedding dress for their upcoming wedding.  Kate and Pat at O’Brien Photo are usually the ones going about the work of capturing people’s special day in photographs, but in this post we get a chance to see the tables turned a wee bit as Kate busily tries to ready herself for her own big day.  This great post is punctuated by a truly wonderful photograph of a wedding dress hanging on a door; the perfect way to wrap up this great post!