We've had another great week in the world of photography with artists and writers with interests in all aspects of photography creating and posting top-notch content online. This week's list is a hand-curated selection of some of the best pieces found by Toad Hollow Photography by searching in all corners of the internet.
This week's list features a selection of tutorials, an expanded set of special features and the usual great photography links we all look forward to. We sincerely hope you enjoy checking out all these links as much as the Toad did in bringing them to you.
TUTORIALS
5 Creative Tips On How To Take Amazing Abstract Photos – this post right here on Light Stalking discusses a series of creative ideas you can apply when shooting abstracts. These simple concepts are covered in good detail here and are accompanied by terrific sample shots so you can see the idea come to life.
Wildlife Tutorial: Here’s How to Shoot Great Photos of Birds in Flight – check out this terrific video tutorial that walks us through shooting birds in their natural setting. Awesome sample shots are shown throughout the video to show you the results you can achieve yourself with these techniques.
How to Shoot Water Drop Photos, from Start to Print – capturing water droplets in frame is definitely an art form all its own, all dependant on lighting and timing. This video is less than 12 minutes in length and takes you through the entire workflow of creating stunning water droplet images.
7 tips for taking photos in bad weather – many photographers can be intimidated by bad weather, but the truth of the matter is that it can be the source of epic natural drama in a natural setting. This video is over 30 minutes long and takes us along as Mads Peter Iversen explores incredible places and uses dramatic weather phenomenon as a perfect source of inspiration for his photographic canvas.
Five Ways to Get the Cinematic Film Look Using Your DSLR – this brief video tutorial covers several different techniques you can use in your video shooting and editing to really add a touch of a cinematic feel to your work. The sample clips included as the video unfold do a great job of showing you what to expect if you try these on your own.
Which Filters to Use in Landscape Photography and Why – this great video tutorial covers more than just the how of applying filters to landscape photography, but also the why and when. The video presentation is just under 12 minutes long and is full of great tips on how to use filters in this specific genre of photography.
How to Add a Nice Sunray Effect Using Photoshop – learn how to add beautiful light rays to your images in this video tutorial that runs just under 10 minutes. Each step of the process is covered in this video, allowing you to see the entire effect unfold in detail.
How to take product shots with a single light and DIY modifiers – learn how to put together a simple lighting setup that is ideal for shooting products, in this case, a bottle of bourbon. The video is just over 4 minutes long and takes you through the setup and the actual shoot and shows you the final result.
How to Focus Stack with Thomas Heaton – in just over 8 minutes, this video tutorial takes us through the steps that Thomas Heaton uses to create a focus stacked image. This technique is powerful as it allows a photographer to create an image with clear focus from front to back of the frame.
f/138: Taking Pictures With No Lens at All – this presentation allows us to watch as a photographer explores a small oceanside community with a small pinhole camera. The shots are nostalgic in look and provide a totally unique look at the world in a low-tech way. This is definitely a great approach for a certain type and style of photography.
SPECIAL FEATURES
These Photos Of Beautiful Dresses Around The World Are Absolutely Breathtaking – Kristina Makeeva is a photographer from Moscow who creates amazing photographs by shooting amazing dresses in breathtaking settings. This collection of shots features some of her incredible work that finds the grand dresses in harmony with the setting the photograph is captured in.
Photographer Q&A: Mark Edward Harris for Schneider – this post shares some personal insights from Mark Edward Harris a world-renowned photographer who captures iconic shots from all points known. The Q&A aspect of this article reveals a little about what makes a great photographer like this tic while the supplied shots are simply amazing to see.
National Geographic | Route 66 – this special feature is hosted by National Geographic and leads to myriad web pages that take you on an iconic visual voyage through Route 66, one of the most iconic ribbons of highway in the United States. This is a great way to experience some of the gems that are found on this historic path.
Stunning Moody Adventure Photography by Marcel Siebert – Marcel Siebert has a very distinct style, one that takes on a cinematic look in many regards, as we can see and enjoy in this post that features some of his images. Each image selected to be included in this collection shares a story in a frame, and when you enjoy the collection as a set a distinctive style emerges.
What a shot! 23 amazing sports photos – pop on over to CNN’s site to see a set of great sports themed shots. Some of the shots capture the action while others focus on the expressions of the people during various aspects of the event as it unfolds.
Outstanding Architecture and Cityscape Photography of Taiwan by RK – check out this terrific collection of cityscape themed shots captured in Taiwan, showcasing various aspects of this busy city as people go about their lives and daily business. These compositions are all carefully processed to highlight the drama in the buildings and scene encountered, many of which are shot from an elevated perspective.
50 Candid Vintage Photographs of People With Their Cameras From the 1950s and '60s – pictures of people with cameras taking pictures.. A perfect subject for a photo essay! This set features a wide variety of people doing just this in a great set of vintage shots.
GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY
Tender Moments – fresh out of their den a mother polar bear and her two fluffy white cubs enjoy their first moments outdoors in the sun in northern Manitoba in Canada. Nadeem Sufi’s shot is a heartwarming picture that for those of us concerned about climate change worry may be a sight that becomes increasingly rare over time.
Moonlight in Hamnoy – Daniel Fleischhacker creates a highly stylized landscape shot of this northern community as it sits among snow-capped mountains and is surrounded by dark blue waters. In this shot, the red homes and buildings that comprise the basis of the community stand out against the stark surroundings.
occupied by ghosts – bring along a winter parka before opening this link to check out this great shot from Frank King captured in the middle of the prairies in winter. This shot focuses on a long-abandoned farmhouse framed by a leafless tree to add to the overall eerie sense of the scene.
Good Morning | Bled – Federico Antonello and Adnan Bubalo create two distinctly different looks of this magical place in Slovenia, a place that is often visited by photographers worldwide and creates incredible views that are totally unique dependant on time of season and day. Both shots feature the ancient monastery that sits on the tiny island in the middle of the lake, and each exhibits a distinctly different feel.
Snoozing in Safety – a nice warm spot appears to be the perfect spot for a lovely afternoon nap for this collection of sea lions captured on the west coast of Canada by Laurie MacBride. These large animals are a dietary staple for Orca whales and as such, they tend to find what they consider to be safe perches for rest, even though several of these sea lions look rather uncomfortable in their chosen havens.
Autumn Neuschwanstein – an incredible European castle sits on the side of a mountain, surrounded by vibrantly colored leaves in autumn with golden light streaming in to elicit an inviting sense of warmth in this amazing photograph from Daniel Řeřicha. In your mind’s eye, you can easily see a knight returning upon a gilded white horse after a battle that just occurred in the heart of the forest below.
Back Lit Orchid, Minnesota – Mark Paulson does a terrific job of capturing the inherent beauty and gorgeous colors of a flower in this frame. The way the light comes through the back of the flower makes the iridescent colors of the leaves pop right out of our monitors.
LIEGE – a wide, sweeping and dramatic architectural study is explored in this great black-and-white shot from Michael Kendziorra captured in this old city in Belgium. The monochromatic aspect of the shot does a great job of accenting the great lines and geometry found in the structure as you begin to note the great details that give this place character.
Danson House – Mark Summerfield takes us to England where he showcases a set of shots of a historic building that was built in the late 1700’s on an estate that dates back to the 1200’s. The incredible architecture of the home in these shots reveals the wonderful details that went into its original design and is well maintained to this day.
opabin plateau – Tanner Wendell Stewart brings us along to explore the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains where dramatic mountain ranges reach for the heavens and adventure is found around every corner. This shot was created with a limited color palette and features a snow-covered mountain in the backdrop as the forest below surrounds a still body of water to create a terrific reflection.
Barba in Norway – simply epic colors dance across the sky as a beautiful boat makes its way across the waters, surrounded by the grand snow-covered mountains of Norway. Kurt Arrigo’s shot also captures a muted reflection of the sky’s color in the wavy surface of the ocean as the sailing ship heads for adventures unknown.
Station History – CJ Schmit shares a great shot that features a garage in the snow adorned and surrounded by old collectible gas station signs. White snow carpets the entire scene adding a great finishing touch to this shot that takes us back to another time.
Backyard – Dany Eid masterfully utilizes a tilt-shift lens with this piece to capture a truly stunning cityscape scene in the dark of night as the bustling city of Dubai rushes about far below. Taken from the 63rd floor, this perspective offers some terrific elements of this incredible city that are only visible from this elevation.
